


Welcome to Storybrooke

by Applesaday



Series: A Million Ways to Say It [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Complete AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-01 02:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2756969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applesaday/pseuds/Applesaday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan has a 3-month old kid and nowhere to go. A stormy evening takes her to Storybrooke, and a new life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! This is a continuation from one of my SQW drabbles that's getting turned into a longer fic!
> 
> For those of you who haven't read it before, please enjoy!

* * *

 

Emma Swan kept staring at the closed door in front of her, the baby in her arms babbling incoherently, unaware of what was going on, just trying to play with his mother's hair.

This was her last option and they turned her down. She was truly alone, fresh out of the correctional facility, with a 3-month old child. She hadn't even given him a name yet.

She covered the child as best as she could while she made her way to the bug in the pouring rain. Where would she go? She couldn't very well raise a child on the back of her car. As she strapped the child into his seat, blubbering happily at his mother, she tried to figure out where she could go.

New York? Maybe the crazy city life might offer positive things to both of them. Though she had no idea how she'd fare with the violence. Emma went to the driver's side, setting herself down and pulling out the map from the passenger's side. They had been travelling for a little over a week now, first on a bus from Phoenix to the east, where her car had been safely stored for the past number of months, and now they were on the outskirts of Boston. Although Boston could offer them a nice life, Emma never really liked the place. It brought up bad memories from one of her foster families that she'd rather not have to relive every time she made her way downtown.

The blonde traced the path on the map to New York City, seeing where they had to go. Simple enough route, now it was time to go. She decided she'd at least visit, and then see where they could go. It could be their first vacation, she reasoned, though she had no idea how she'd pay for it. Well, she had found a stack of money hidden in the glove compartment of the car, a final parting gift from Neal she thought bitterly, and though she wouldn't feel one ounce of guilt from using it, she didn't want to blow it off all at once. She now had someone else to think of.

Emma looked in the rearview mirror at her child, a smile on her face. "Ready kid?"

The baby babbled happily in response, and Emma started the car, ready for a new life.

* * *

Darn the weather. Darn the rain and darn the idiot that had made these signs so damn confusing. She was pretty sure she was headed the wrong way, but the pouring rain and darkness did little to confirm or deny anything. She would just have to hope the next town had a hotel she could stop at, because with this rain she wasn't going anywhere.

Emma saw a sign looming closer, and tried to get a glimpse of what it said, but the rain was pounding too hard, so she just pressed ahead, her kid sleeping in the backseat, as she made her way into a small sleepy little town with a clock that didn't work.

As she came upon Main Street, Emma saw the glowing sign. "Granny's Bed and Breakfast huh?" she muttered as she read the sign. "Better than nothing I suppose."

Emma was tired from the drive and the storm, so right now all she wanted was a bed and a roof over her head. She parked her yellow bug at the miniature parking lot and got the sleeping baby out, making sure he was safely tucked into her jacket before she made her way out into the rain and headed inside the B&B

Her hair, held up in a ponytail, was drenched by the time she went inside, the rest of her clothes faring the same fate. As she looked up, she felt like she had grown an extra head as she faced a young woman and an old lady, who Emma supposed was Granny. The pair were looking at her strangely, and neither said a word of welcome.

Emma decided to take the first step. "Hi, is the B&B open?"

The younger woman with red streaks in her hair came back to her senses and flashed a smile. "Yeah! I'm Ruby, and this here's Granny. How long will you be needing a room?"

The blonde smiled in return at the introduction. "Emma. And just for a day, I didn't want to keep driving in the middle of the storm with my kid."

The two workers now saw that the newcomer had a baby in her arms, sleeping peacefully while having been spared from the brunt of the storm by his mother's jacket.

Granny smiled fondly. "That's quite alright, we'll get your room set up soon enough. Welcome to Storybrooke!'

Emma gave her a tired smile. "Thanks."

* * *

Regina was having a hell of a morning.

Her alarm clock, after 19 years of faithful service, didn't alert her this morning that she had to wake up, so she had to do her entire morning routine in a rush. What's worse was that she didn't even have time to prepare coffee, as her need to look presentable outbid her need for caffeine, not to mention she could get it at Granny's.

Of course all her effort had gone to waste as soon as she stepped outside into a rainstorm. In her hurry to get ready she hadn't even looked outside or even bothered to check the weather so she practically went outside blind. Her hair was now a mess, and her suit was drenched before she went back inside to get a jacket.

As if all of that wasn't enough, imagine her surprise when she enters the diner and finds a stranger. A stranger in Storybrooke. It had happened only once before and Regina did her best to forget that one time. The blonde sitting on the stool was chatting amiably with Ruby. Every now and then the blonde would glance up and to the side, as if checking for something.

Regina followed the blonde's sight as best as she could, and saw the loathed Mary Margaret playing with a baby. Wait, a baby? Could it be? Had Snow's child finally been found and had been cursed this entire time as well? The impromptu theory was squished after a few minutes when the waitress walked over to her.

"Morning Madam Mayor! Crazy weather huh?"

Regina nodded slightly, her attention focused on the strangers. After a beat, she pointed with her chin at the blonde, and asked, "Who is that?"

"Oh, that's Emma. She and her kid got lost in the storm and she's going to be staying here until the rain dies out."

So it was the stranger's child, interesting. "She's staying at the Inn?"

Ruby nodded. "Yes ma'am. Do you want your usual?"

"Yes, thank you, Ms. Lucas." The brunette sauntered over to where the now named blonde sat, staring fondly as her child interacted with the teacher.

Emma hadn't noticed the older woman make her way closer, so she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard, "I don't believe we've met before."

As the blonde regained her composure, she did a quick once over of the brunette before she extended a hand and smiled. "I'm Emma. You are?"

"Regina Mills." She shook the other woman's hand and then as they let go, she glanced over at the child. "And he's yours?"

Emma nodded, not saying a word.

Seeing she wasn't going to get more information willingly, she prompted for the answer herself. "What's his name?"

The blonde faltered here. "Um- I haven't really come up with one yet. I know it's bad, he's 3 months old and still nameless, but I just don't know what to name him."

Regina tried to push the shock back. She decided to shift the topic a bit. "Are you staying here long?"

Emma shook her head. "Just until the storm dies out. Then heading back out again."

"Oh? Where to?"

"No idea, probably New York, I've always wanted to visit."

"So this is a trip then? Do you live up north?" Regina was beyond late to work by now, but she felt herself sitting down as she continued to speak to the mysterious stranger who had arrived. Plus, it wasn't as if she would be reprimanded by anyone, she was the Mayor after all. Everyone feared and respected her, as it should be. Though there were times where Regina wished the fear part wasn't as prominent.

Emma chuckled, shaking her head. "Nah, you could say I'm in transition currently. Trying to find a new home for me and my kid."

She was a single mother then. Regina felt a pang at thinking of the woman alone against the world trying to protect her child from the evils in the world. "Well, you could always stay here. It would certainly be safer for you and your child than New York."

The thought had crossed Emma's mind. What the other woman said certainly made sense. But- "There aren't any places for rent. I tried to look in this morning's paper, but from what I understand, everyone's been living in the same place for as long as anyone can remember."

Regina nodded absentmindedly. Before she could say anything, Mary Margaret made her way to where the two were sitting, handing the child back to her.

"It was really nice to meet the two of you, but now I have to go get ready for my class. I hope to see you again!" Mary Margaret waved to them, before saying a small hello to Regina, who sent a frigid response in return.

As soon as the door closed, Regina heard the blonde say something to her, but she didn't hear it. "I'm sorry dear, I didn't catch that."

"Do you want to meet my kid?" She turned her body so the little boy was now facing the brunette, "Hey kid, meet Regina."

The little baby mumbled happily and Regina gingerly took the small child into her arms. Seeing the baby reach out to grab her made her heart melt. An idea started forming in her mind. She had been looking for a child, and her house was too big just for her...perhaps she would accept.

"My house is big enough."

Emma was sure she heard wrong. Looking up from where she was watching her kid play around with Regina's hair, she made eye contact with the other woman. "What?"

"My house, it's too big for me by myself, and if you want, you could stay."

"Oh no," Regina braced herself for another round of disappointment. "I couldn't impose."

The brunette was surprised. She had been expecting something akin to disgust or even fear. The young woman, who Regina realized looked more like a teen than anything, was probably just unsure of her life now with a child and how to deal with everything. Certainly Regina was curious about how the young woman came to be in this situation, but wouldn't press now.

"Well, at the very least I insist you come by for dinner tonight." Regina wasn't sure what brought on this immense need to help the young woman. Was she only helping her for the child? Yes, that was definitely it. At the very least, it was what she told herself.

"I- thank you, we'd love that."

Regina smiled, and gave her the address to her house, with instructions on how to get there from the Diner. Emma accepted it graciously, and soon she parted the Diner, now with her order.

After Regina had left, Ruby came back to where Emma was sitting. "How did you do that?"

Emma looked confused at the brunette. "Do what?"

"You actually managed to get on the Mayor's good side, and she smiled at you!"

"Wait, I thought Mary Margaret was a teacher?"

"No! Regina Mills is the Mayor."

"Oh! Didn't realize." Emma shrugged, she didn't understand why this was a big deal.

Of course, Ruby answered her unspoken query for her. "She doesn't really like change. We think that's why no one ever comes here. She kinda rules with an iron fist."

Emma blanched. Well then, she had probably just made a fool of herself at least a dozen times with that small exchange.

* * *

Regina reminded herself that this was just a simple dinner, but a small part of her wanted to convince the blonde to stay here. She didn't fully understand why she wanted a child for her own, it wasn't as if she'd had stellar parenting at the hands of Cora, but regardless, she hoped that maybe a child would offer her some happiness and respite from the monotonous life in this small town.

As the doorbell rang, Regina made sure everything was prepared before going to answer the door.

Dinner had been pleasant. Small talk mostly. Emma had apologized for not knowing Regina was the mayor, but the brunette brushed it off, saying it wasn't of consequence, insisting she could call her Regina, no special title required.

There were some moments of silence, and some moments where Emma was just trying to get her kid to to eat. Regina had prepared a special meal for the child, something Emma greatly appreciated.

After dinner, they had retired to the study, where Emma held her sleeping child. Regina offered her something to drink, and Emma accepted some coffee, saying cider was too strong for her, plus she had to drive back to the Inn.

Regina kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to press, but companionship in the form of a child and a friend seemed like a welcome reprieve for the once Evil Queen.

After a few seconds of silence, Regina decided to breach a more personal topic. She had always been curious, demanding answers to puzzles, and the conundrum that was Emma was baffling her.

"Don't you have any family or friends that can help you?"

Regina thought Emma wouldn't answer, but was surprised when the blonde shook her head in the negative. Though the blonde didn't leave it at that.

"I know I must look like a terrible parent." She took a deep breath as she continued. "I won't be winning any parenting awards, but I just couldn't give him away. I promised myself I wouldn't. No matter the challenges and obstacles that were ahead, I'd power through for him."

Regina's heart ached for the blonde. She wished her own mother had been so devoted to her. She cleared her throat and then decided to persist once more. "Well, if you're willing to have a friend help, my offer still stands. As you can see I wasn't exaggerating about the size of my home, so living comfortably would not be a problem. I don't wish to pressure you, but I want you to know that this is an option for both you and your child."

"Regina, I couldn't afford to help you pay for this house-" Emma was sure she might have enough for some months, but who would hire an ex-convict single-mother in a small town? She'd be run out of there before they'd even consider accepting her.

"Nonsense, I do not require money."

Emma was sure there would be a catch. She had learnt the hard way that nothing in life was free, and no one ever was kind for the sake of it. "Then what  _would_  you want?"

Regina thought about it for a while. A slice of the truth wouldn't hurt perhaps. Her strong cider was making her tongue loose; she'd have to be careful or else more dangerous revelations might come through. "Companionship. I don't really have friends in this town, they all would rather think me first as a Mayor than a friend. And" here Regina could feel a small blush creeping up as she just kept talking, fueled by the cider. "For the past while, I've been curious as to what it would be like to have a child."

Emma just blinked at the brunette, surprised at the forwardness of the confession. She was even more surprised that her lying detector didn't ping at all. Maybe she could give a chance to the brunette. After all, it wasn't like she herself had an abundance of friends. Perhaps being able to have someone helping her wouldn't be so bad.

"Okay, deal. One condition though."

Regina nodded, hoping she could meet it.

"Can you help me name my kid?"

* * *

"Mommy! Movie!" Little Henry was pulling at her hair, as if pulling on it hard enough would get her to go where he wanted, sitting on her shoulders.

Emma chuckled, "I haven't forgotten Henry! Let's go pick out your movie. What kind do you want to watch?"

"Adwenture!"

"Ad _ven_ ture." Emma repeated, stressing on the V to teach Henry how to pronounce it properly. The little 4 year old only huffed in response. When they got to the movie section, Emma was disappointed to see a small selection of movies for children. Mainly only one movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Well, she supposed adventure did include the fairytale story, so she went to the front and rented it.

Henry, of course, wanted to watch it right when they got home, so Emma put him down on the couch, making himself comfortable as Emma tried to get the vhs tape in.

As soon as it was in, Emma rushed to the couch, nearly tackling the young boy in the process, getting both to laugh themselves silly, before the familiar intro song came on.

Regina, coming back from work, was exhausted. The never-ending pile of work seemed to claw at her, and she welcomed the reprieve of the end of the day, a chance to get to spend time with people she practically called family.

By the time she made her way inside the house, Regina could hear the distant sounds of a movie playing, followed by snippets of commentary by the bright young boy, and his mother's responses.

The two women had a wonderful companionship going as they shared the too-big house, and Emma, after much insistence, helped in her own way, whether it was to pay for the groceries, especially food for Henry, or even just helping to clean around the house.

The blonde was now town Sheriff in a surprising turn of events. Graham, the previous Sheriff, had at first been delighted to have a partner in crime, but he eventually realized that law enforcement just didn't suit him anymore, and was now doing some forest ranger/ living out in the wilderness thing that Regina barely understood.

Regina had also realized that her curse was weakening. She actually hadn't noticed it at first, but then her roommate had mentioned the clock in Main Street was working. The Mayor hadn't given it much thought, not noticing that the clock's movements, or lack thereof, were connected to everyone being frozen in time, but after four years, the changes were noticeable.

Perhaps it wasn't so obvious on the adults, but the children were growing up along with Henry, though it helped to keep the curse a secret, because she was sure the two other occupants of the house would notice if none of Henry's playmates aged.

Now, having put her outerwear away in the front closet, Regina was musing to herself as to what they could have for dinner when she heard some crying from Henry, and Emma trying to soothe him. Wanting to see if she could help, she made her way to the living room and saw Henry hiding behind a pillow and Emma trying to calm him down.

Trying to find the source of his fright, the brunette looked around the room, eyes landing on a familiar movie.

She could hardly stop the scoff that came out at seeing the movie loosely based on her and Snow White. Key word here was loosely, as she'd never have gone after the raven-haired woman for something so shallow as looks; really the nerve of whoever had made this atrocity.

But for now she had a child to comfort, and she made her way towards the Swan family.

"Come on Henry, she can't hurt you!" Emma was saying to Henry. Who was she talking about? "Plus, you'll see how the evil and mean queen is defeated! Good will win!"

Regina fell a pang of sadness. He was afraid of the Evil Queen.

Henry barely peeked out from behind his pillow shield, wide eyes staring at his mother. "Really?"

"Mhmm." Emma nodded.

"What if she comes here?" Naive Henry still believed story characters could come out of nowhere and harm him. Though in this case, Regina thought wryly, he was right. The subject of his fear was standing in that very room.

Emma smiled, seeing her child hiding behind his pillow again. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Henry peeked out again and saw Regina standing there. "'Gina!"

Emma turned and smiled as she saw the brunette, who made her way over to sit beside Henry.

"Will you also prote-cect me?"

Regina did a double take. She didn't know what to say. What could she say?

"Protect, Henry." Emma corrected him.

Regina felt Henry pulling on her shirt, waiting for an answer. She smiled at him as she nodded. "Of course Henry, I'll always protect you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that!
> 
> A little snippet in the new life of Emma, Henry, and Regina!
> 
> This story will mix back and forth in times, I mean, it won't be a catalogue of Henry's different life in Storybrooke, just the important parts that make this story.
> 
> Thanks as always for the support and reviews!


	2. The Theory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And part 2!
> 
> This one will just show time passing, setting things up for the big plot with the curse and all that jazz.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Emma's sing-song voice trailed through the house as she tried to find her elusive child.

It was a stormy Saturday afternoon, so the mother and child were confined to the indoors. Regina was off at some important meeting, so it was just the two of them, playing an intensive game of hide-and-seek.

As she made her way through the house, she tried to figure out where an 8 year-old would be hiding. Seeing the door leading to the basement slightly ajar, she smirked. Her kid was good, but he still had a lot to learn. Slowly opening the door wider to slip through, she tried to make her way down the stairs as quietly as she could.

Emma had a silent cheer when she reached the base of the stairs and she still hadn't heard any shuffling, meaning she still had the upper hand. She tiptoed through the expansive area, wondering where Henry could've gone.

Suddenly, she heard a page turn. Following the noise, which was repeated every now and then, she found him.

Henry was propped beside the washing machine, flipping through an old tome that Emma was sure was bigger than Henry's head.

"Y'know kid, the point of  _hide_  and seek is that you need to hide so I don't find you, right?"

Henry looked up and flashed a grin. "I know, but I found this book and it looks cool! But it's kinda heavy."

Emma chuckled, going over to crouch in front of her son. "It does look kinda big. Where did you find it?"

He raised his arm and pointed his finger towards the back of the laundry room. "Back there. It was covered in dust and looks kinda old. But it's got pictures!"

She grinned at her son. It did look super old, leather-bound and was wider than it was taller. "Oh really? What's it about?"

"Fairytales! Look at the name of the book!" Henry closed the book and turned it to face her. There, in gold lettering embossed on the cover were the words 'Once Upon a Time'.

"Have you gotten very far in your reading, Henry?"

The young boy shook his head. "No, I've just been looking at the pictures."

"Well then, what say you and I read some of it together?"

"Okay!"

Emma let out a laugh at her kid's excitement. "Come on kid, last one to your room is a rotten egg!"

* * *

Regina could barely get inside the house with how giddy she was. Finally a meeting goes right for her. It was a rarity and she could hardly wait to share this with Emma and Henry.

The three had rapidly grown into a family. Of course it wasn't official or anything, neither did anyone really call it that, but it felt like a family to Regina, and it was more than she could've ever hoped for or imagined.

Although the fear that anyone would find out about the curse or break it nagged at her head, she didn't want to let that get in the way of her happiness. It had led to a few nightmares over the years, and right in the foreground of people who were appalled and disgusted with her actions was Emma, with Henry hiding behind her.

It was incredible how attached she was to the blonde. For so long she had believed that after Daniel, she wouldn't be able to care, or want to share her life with anyone, and yet here she was. She wouldn't admit any of this for the life of her, she didn't want to risk anything in case the blonde didn't feel the same way and decided to leave if things got weird with her proclamation.

So for now they were cohabiting, both acting like Henry's parents, although they had never settled on an affectionate name to give Regina.

Not hearing anything on the main floor, she quickly padded her way upstairs, eager to see them. Inching closer to Henry's room, she heard laughs and giggles.

Then she stopped a few feet short of the doorway, blood running cold at what she heard Emma say.

"'But you  _shall_  have it. My gift to you is this happy, happy day. For tomorrow, my  _real_  work begins.'"

Her mind went into automatic pilot as she forgot all her pretense and just burst into the room, slamming the partially closed door wide open.

Emma looked up from where she was lying beside Henry on his bed, a wide leather-bound book propped open between them. "Hey you're home!" After a beat of taking in Regina's appearance, her brows furrowed. "Regina are you okay?"

The older woman had a kind of wild look in her. Her chest was heaving as if she had ran, and her eyes were darting around dangerously. "What- what were you saying?"

Emma was puzzled. "Regina-"

"We're reading fairytales!" Henry of course, didn't notice that Regina was looking a bit paranoid, and instead just answered the question with a happy grin, pointing at the book.

The blonde saw that Regina nodded absently at Henry's answer, and decided to take action. Looking over at Henry, she said, "Hey kid, how about you keep on reading the book for a little while, I have to go talk to Regina about something, okay?"

Henry nodded fervently, grabbing the big tome as best as he could while Emma got up from the bed and made her way to the door. Regina was still in her same position, and Emma could bet a lot of money that the Mayor's heart was beating fast.

"Come on." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed the brunette's hand and led her towards Regina's room.

"Okay, what's eating at you? Did the meeting go that bad?"

Regina still hadn't spoken a word, and Emma was worried. She put her hands on Regina's shoulders, rubbing her arms gently. "Hey, come on, you can tell me."

"I- where did you find that book?" was what Regina finally managed to ground out.

Emma did a double take. That was not on her list of things she thought Regina would say to her. "Uhm, Henry found it actually. He said he saw it at the back of the laundry room. Why?"

"It- it just brings back bad memories."

Now Emma understood. "The crazy mother right? Look I can just tell Henry and give the book back so you can bury it in another remote dusty corner. I honestly didn't know Regina. I'm really sorry."

"No no, it's fine. I just, I was surprised to hear the words is all. Henry seems enamored with the book, I'd hate to part him from it."

Emma flashed a smile. "I swear woman, you spoil the kid."

Regina returned the smile in kind. It was hard to see the Mayor display that kind of sincerity while outside, since she usually kept the formal and professional Mayoral mask in place at all times. But at home she was a completely different person; more approachable and carefree.

"No but seriously, if the book is going to dredge up crappy memories for you, just say the word and I'll have the book confiscated okay?"

Regina sighed, shaking her head. "It's alright, really. It was more surprise than anything."

Emma accepted the answer and then remembered where the brunette had just come from. "Oh! So how  _was_  the meeting?"

The other woman instantly brightened. "It went excellent! I finally managed to put Spencer in his place."

"That's great, Regina!" Emma didn't wait for a response before she engulfed the other woman in a tight hug.

Neither woman made an attempt to move out of the embrace, just as neither of them would ever want to admit, at least not yet, that they enjoyed the hug very much.

* * *

"Henry! Come down for breakfast or you're going to be late for school!" Emma hated to holler so early in the morning, but it was clearly going to be one of those days that her kid would pull out all the stops to prevent going to school.

"Clearly your child inherited your penchant for early mornings." Regina smirked, sipping her coffee idly as Emma returned to the kitchen and plopped back into her seat.

The groan and glare she got in response made the brunette laugh.

"Clearly the attitude is a family thing too." She looked beyond where Emma was to see a sleepy Henry shuffling towards them. "Morning Henry."

She got a similar response from the young boy. "I rest my case."

Emma stuck her tongue out, and then turned to her son who was serving himself a hearty quantity of cereal. "Sleep well Henry?"

"Yeah. Hey mom, do you think fairytales are real?"

Neither woman was expecting such a question, and especially not so early. "Like, historically? Because I doubt that half the fairytale stories would make sense these days with modern technology."

Henry shook his head. "No just- do you think they could exist, outside of their stories, and in our world. Y'know, after their happily ever afters?"

Emma was confused on the line of questioning. Regina on the other hand wanted to disappear and hide far away.

Ever since Henry had found the storybook a year ago, he had become obsessed. He read it more than he read any other story, and up until recently, had always been requesting the stories read to him. Lately, ever since he finally finished reading it cover to cover, his curiosity had shifted over to what happened after the stories ended. Where did they go? Emma had entertained the questions as if they were normal 9 year-old curiosities.

But Regina felt like she was walking on glass. It'd have been fine if he just asked that of the butchered Disney versions, but this was specifically referring to the history Regina had lived through. She had no idea how exactly that book came to being, although she could guess who had orchestrated that one. If these questions kept up, she'd need to confront that imp to get to the bottom of this before it blew up in her face and destroyed the closest thing Regina has had to a family.

As Regina returned from her thoughts, she saw the two Swans debating the ever afters of stories. Regina felt bile rising in her throat, and the air becoming thin; she needed to get out of here. Gulping down the rest of her coffee, she said, "Sorry to cut this breakfast short, but I really must be getting to work. I'll see the two of you later okay?"

Emma smiled apologetically. She must think that the older woman had grown uncomfortable with their conversation based on the half truth Regina had fed the blonde about the book reminding her of Regina's mother. In reality, Regina was feeling nauseous at how quick her secret would be spilled if Henry started putting two and two together.

She went up to her room, quickly brushed her teeth and got dressed. She used all her willpower to not even remotely overhear what turn the conversation had taken. Regina felt trapped. Her need to talk to Gold increased every minute, but she willed herself to power through this with a smile.

Henry would grow out of this. Right?

* * *

Emma and Henry put their breakfast stuff away, and while Emma waited for her son to get dressed, she walked up to Regina who was putting on her jacket, ready to go out.

"Hey look, sorry about Henry. I know that the book's always been a sore subject for you-"

"It's fine, Emma, really." Regina faced the blonde, coat neatly pressed, fitting her body perfectly as if it had been tailor-made.

The younger woman frowned. "You're lying, Regina. Not to mention that I saw your expression at breakfast while he was talking."

Regina sighed. "Very well. The- Henry talking about the book brings up memories of things I'd rather wish stayed buried. But" she saw Emma about to interrupt and went to beat her to the punch. "I refuse to let those memories get in the way of your or Henry's happiness and lives."

"Sorry to disappoint, but you being miserable doesn't make me happy. It does the exact opposite."

Regina was shocked into silence. Emma couldn't even possibly begin to understand how much those words meant to her. It might seem like a small or meaningless comment, but to Regina, it meant the world. She wanted to hug the blonde, but kept her hands to herself, instead just flashing a timid smile and a "Thank you."

Emma shrugged with a smile. "Hey, it's what friends do, okay? I'll have a talk with Henry so that he can at least try and refrain from talking about it with you in the room, okay?"

Regina considered the options. On one hand that would lead to less situations with her heart leaping at her throat, but at the same time she wanted to know if things escalated, if her secret was threatening to spill. She made her decision. "It's fine Emma..."

"It can't be fine Regina." She heard Henry stomping down the stairs and sighed. "We'll talk about this later, okay?"

Regina just nodded, and smiled at seeing Henry arrive at the foyer. So much was at stake here, she needed to figure out her battle plan on how to deviate Henry from finding out the truth. Otherwise everything would be ruined, and Regina wasn't going to give up on this new life without a fight.

* * *

"What were you and Regina talking about?" Henry looked up at his mother, walking beside her as they made their way to school.

Emma sighed. Could she hope that a simple answer would deviate the conversation? She could try. "Your book."

Henry frowned, and looked up at his mother as he asked, "What about it?"

It clearly didn't work. "Look Henry, I know you love that book to pieces, but it brings up bad memories for Regina, so maybe you should try to keep your questions for another time? I know this is probably hard to wrap your head around-"

"It makes sense," Henry interrupted, and Emma could tell his gears were turning big time.

Emma glanced down at her kid with an eyebrow raised. "It does?"

"Yeah. It reminds her of her past as a fairytale character."

She did a double-take as she tried to process this. "What? No Henry, she's not a fairytale character-"

Once again Henry interrupted. "Yes she is!"

"Henry what have I told you about interrupting people?"

Henry at least had the decency to look bashful as he replied, "It's rude."

"Exactly." The two had stopped walking and Emma knelt in front of him as she said, "Look, Henry, fairytales aren't real. We're all real people who've had their ups and downs, Regina being one of them. Her mom was a mean lady who gave that book to Regina when she was a kid and now she associates that book with the bad memories of her mom."

Henry shook his head. "No, it's because she's the Evil Queen."

Emma didn't know if she wanted to gape or admonish Henry for his rudeness. She settled for the latter. "Henry Swan! In case you don't remember, we're living here, in that  _very_  big mansion, because of Regina's generosity. Last I checked, an Evil Queen wouldn't do that kind of thing. I want you to promise me you'll never say something like that again, especially in front of her, understood?"

"But it's the truth!"

Emma willed herself to be patient as she worked through this. "How could you possibly think that Henry? Has she ever been rude to you?"

The young boy shook his head. "But she looks like her."

The first image that came to her was of the Disney version. She tried to equate that Evil Queen to the Regina she knew and snorted in laughter. "Kid, they look nothing alike."

In a move that made him seem a lot older than he was, he huffed and rolled his eyes, removing the backpack from its position behind him. He took out the book in question, and expertly flipped to a page, turning it to face her. "See?"

Emma had to hand it to the kid, he did see the resemblance. But try as she might she couldn't place the evil smirk in the picture in the face of the kind woman. "Henry, physical resemblance doesn't mean she's the character. If you saw the actor for Harry Potter out on the street, would you expect him to whip out a wand and yell out,  _Wingardium Leviosa_?"

He shook his head. "He's not a fairytale character. But this  _is_  her! I'm sure of it! Everyone in this town is in the book!"

Emma let out a laugh. "Come on kid, we have to get you to school otherwise Ms. Blanchard won't be happy."

"She's Snow White" Henry said as soon as he caught up to her, book once more stuffed inside his backpack, straps around his shoulders.

"Oh really? Who else is here?" Emma decided to at least entertain him partially.

"Well Ruby is Red Riding Hood, Granny is her Granny-"

"Okay kid, I get it, you think everyone here is in your book. But humor me for a bit. If Regina was the Evil Queen, why would she be kind to us? Last I checked, Evil Queens didn't offer up their homes to a random woman and her newborn child."

"She feels guilty."

Henry's response felt so simple and ready that Emma wondered if perhaps this theory of his had been formed well in advance. He seemed more prepared for this line of questioning than some politicians seemed at debates. "Guilty about what?"

"About destroying your life."

Emma was now totally confused. "Henry, I will repeat myself again. Regina's been super kind to us ever since we came here, nine years ago. How in the world did she destroy my life?"

"Making you grow up alone without your parents."

This conversation was taking a drastic turn, one she'd rather not have with her child. The only people who knew about her full past were Regina and Archie, she wasn't even sure how Henry knew about this. "Henry Swan, listen to me. I want you to drop this theory of yours right this instant, and never mention it again, am I clear?"

Once again, her ultimatum went unheeded as Henry plowed on. "You don't understand, it's all part of her curse!"

Emma had read the stories in the book to know what he was talking about. "The one where she sends everyone to go live out the rest of their lives in misery? This is where you think she sent them?"

Henry nodded. "It is! They've been cursed, but ever since we got here, the curse has weakened!"

"Henry, how could you possibly know if that is true or not? You were 3 months old when we got here."

"Because you're the Savior!"

"I'm the what now?" Emma shook her head, glad to see the school in the distance. "Henry, I'm the Sheriff, I'm no Savior."

"Yes you are! It's in the book!"

"Henry, I'm not in any book!"

"Not officially, but you're Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter."

"Am not!"

"Are too! Her name is Emma and everything!"

"Enough!" Emma stopped and grabbed Henry's arm, not roughly, but enough to get him to turn and face her. "Drop this, Henry, okay? I know this might seem fun to you, but it's hurtful. Growing up without parents isn't an enjoyable experience, and it's certainly not something you want to be poking fun at. You also can't accuse people of looking like Evil Queens, so I want you to stop talking about that theory of yours, understood?"

Henry nodded meekly. "Yes mom."

"Good, and just for measure, you're grounded for a week."

"Oh come on!"

Before Emma could say anything, the bell rang. "We'll talk about it later, now you have to get to class!"

The young boy ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.

Emma had a lot on her plate, and she needed to talk to someone about it. Turning on her heel, she headed to the diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Lot's of things covered here huh? I really wanted to get to the part where we see that Henry has been able to work out that the book's characters are living breathing people living beside him.
> 
> As you can tell I've obviously changed the origin of how the book got into his hands, but I felt this was more appropriate. I'm going to keep to the timeline of the story in terms of age, so the curse would only be broken after Emma's 28th birthday, so we've got a while to go!
> 
> I hope this wasn't rushed or felt out of sorts in any way, I will be dealing more with Emma and Regina's relationship in the next chapter, so stick around for that!
> 
> Reviews are always welcome and appreciated! Let me know if there's anything you want me to focus on or explain!


	3. The Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back with more from this fic! Henry seems to be cottoning on to the situation in Storybrooke, while Emma is completely dumbfounded as to what the heck her kid put on his cereal that morning.
> 
> Without further ado, this chapter! Enjoy!

"Do you have a minute?" Emma asked, sitting down on one of the stools in front of the counter at Granny's.

Ruby flashed a grin. "When haven't I? So spill, what's up?"

"Henry. He's...kind of lost it? Or ate some really bad cereal."

Ruby frowned, walking around the counter to sit on a stool beside her friend. Breakfast rush was over so the diner was empty save for a few stragglers, leaving the two women to talk comfortably. "Are we talking crushing on someone, or starting that rebellious phase early?"

"Neither...you know that fairytale book he's obsessed with?"

Ruby nodded. Who didn't. He had made it a point to show it to anyone who would listen to him, carrying it around everywhere despite the fact that it was such a huge tome.

"Well, now he's convinced that everyone in this town is a fairytale character from that book," Emma looked exasperated. Sure everyone told her parenting would be hard – the fact that she herself had no parents from where she could guide herself didn't help, but this wasn't a tantrum or a fever. That she could handle. This was on a whole other level and she had no idea from where to start tackling or deconstructing this.

"Like he actually thinks those characters are people walking around all la-dee-da?" Ruby had to resist snorting in laughter. It was clear Emma wasn't finding this a joking matter, but the waitress found it equal parts hilarious and adorable. Little kids had such wild imaginations.

"Yeah. You're Red Riding Hood."

Ruby blinked, and smiled. "Must be the red in my hair." She flipped her hair, making sure her highlights were visible. Seeing that the blonde only gave a measly smile for her quip, she sighed, placing her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I wouldn't stress over it too much Em, every single kid goes through that. I vaguely remember being convinced at one time I was part wolf, because I was a fast runner and had a good nose."

"I hope you're right Rubes, but he freaking called Regina the Evil Queen."

The waitress' eyes bugged out. "To her face? How is he still alive?"

Here Emma smiled a bit wider. "No not to her face. Plus you know she has a soft spot for the kid. But seriously, how could he say that about her! Regina's been nothing but generous..."

"Did he explain why?"

"Yeah: she looks like the Evil Queen image in his book." Emma deadpanned. "I mean, sure there is a resemblance, but still, this is the woman that practically gave me and Henry free housing when I had nothing, and how does he repay her? He calls her evil."

Ruby flinched. "Yikes, that's harsh. Better hope she doesn't find out about it."

"Well I gotta explain somehow that Henry's grounded... got any ideas?"

Ruby thought about it for a moment. "Say that someone else was the Evil Queen?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You really think Regina's going to buy that for a moment?"

"Good point. Maybe you can ease her into it? I'm sure that after 9 years, Regina will understand that he's not  _really_  calling her evil?"

"I hope so." Emma sighed, sinking her head onto her arms. "I'll try to enlist Archie for help."

"With advice on what to tell Regina, or as a shrink?"

The blonde looked up and grimaced. "Both?"

The waitress' eyes flitted to the door and then back to her friend. "Well you're in luck, he's coming in right now."

As Emma turned, the door opened, causing the bell to jingle, and Archie came inside.

"Mornin' Archie, your usual?"

"Yes please Ruby." Archie smiled as he walked over to the counter. Ruby left her seat and went to prepare the order for the town's psychiatrist.

Emma decided that there was no time like the present. "Hey Archie."

The bespectacled man turned and nodded to her, his smile growing a bit wider. "Morning Sheriff." He saw that it looked like Emma wanted to ask something, so he made his way to sit beside her. "You seem like you've got something on your mind."

"Yeah...would you consider it a regular kid's thing if he all of a sudden started thinking the town was inhabited with fairytale characters?"

Archie's smile faltered as his face morphed into one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

Emma sighed, looking down at her hands. "I'm not even sure. I want to hope that this is just my motherly instincts going into overdrive, but I'm being thrown in a loop."

Archie hummed. "How about we talk this over at my office?"

The blonde nodded. Ruby came back with the coffee and bagel order. Emma thanked Ruby and promised the brunette that she'd call her with any updates later.

The Sheriff and psychiatrist walked outside, crossing the street to Archie's office. Once inside, Pongo came bounding up to Emma, and she scratched him behind the ears, earning a very content smile from the dalmatian.

After they settled into the couches, Archie prepared his notepad and pen, turning to Emma expectantly. "So, you mentioned fairytale characters, whether it was a kid's thing, and your motherly instincts. Is this about Henry?"

She nodded. "I mean, Henry's been obsessed with that book for the past year and a bit, but out of the blue, he's now thinking that people in town are fairytale characters."

Archie's brows furrowed. "Like Snow White and Prince Charming are actually living here?"

"Yeah, that's Mary Margaret. Hasn't mentioned a Prince Charming yet though. Ruby - she's Red Riding Hood supposedly - said it was just a kid's thing, but..."

He saw that Emma had more to say, so he said nothing. Sometimes people just needed a few minutes to collect their thoughts before continuing, rather than a push.

"I can't help but have this sinking feeling in my gut that it's more than just his overactive imagination. He's had obsessions before, but this is the first time he's actually bringing other people into it without asking. Usually he asks if they want to be part of his adventures, and I'm afraid he's going to end up hurting people."

"Physically or mentally?" Archie doubted the adorable child had an evil bone in his body to be able to do the former, but if there was one thing he knew, was to never assume a situation.

"Oh no, mentally. He...he thinks Regina is the Evil Queen." Emma mumbled the last part, but Archie's trained ears caught on.

So that was the root of Emma's worries. He knew that the Sheriff and Mayor had a very cozy arrangement, and he commended Emma for being able to bring out a whole new side to their normally frigid Mayor. She was much more approachable and friendlier since the Swans had made 108 Mifflin Street their home. Although Regina was now much kinder, it was still hidden behind a facade of detachment that spoke volumes about the Mayor being reserved about who she shared her smiles with. Knowing that Emma was within that exclusive group, he could guess that having the woman she owed everything to being so depreciated by Henry was worrying Emma.

He knew all about Emma's situation, having been the one who helped her to be confident in her abilities to raise Henry when she came to him one day more than 9 years ago, about a week after she had settled into Storybrooke. She had confided in him about her worries and fears, and about not wanting to upset the woman she was living with. Archie helped her face those fears and grow from them, assuring her that she would be able to raise Henry and give him a good childhood, as well as become a good friend with the Mayor. And he had been right.

"I can see how that could be a problem," he said after a few minutes of thinking. "Does she know about this?"

Emma shook her head. "Not about the Evil Queen thing, but she knows about the book; it was hers actually, Henry found it in the basement in the laundry room. The book... it's not exactly a good memory for Regina, but she powered on knowing that Henry loved it so much." Of course Emma wasn't going to explain the book in relation to Regina's crazy mother, since she knew it'd be a breach of the other woman's privacy. Plus it wasn't her story to tell.

"I see, have you at least tried to talk to him about it and explain how it could be hurtful?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but he had to go to school so it wasn't that much of a conversation. I did ground him for it, but I have no idea what to tell Regina! How do I tell her that the kid she's been housing and raising as practically her own is calling her the Evil Queen? I mean I could just tell her a white lie, but nothing sounds believable."

"Well, I would advise against lying. Nothing good can come out of it, and in your case, your unique relationship was built on trust. you trusted Regina to altruistically share her home with you, and letting her raise Henry with you. She needs to be able to trust you too, since from what I know, the Mayor isn't quick to trust, and it's much harder to build trust once it's been broken."

"But if it's to prevent her from heartache and sadness, a lie would be alright though, right? I mean, why would I want to purposely inflict this on her." Emma looked up at Archie with pleading eyes. Despite having matured a lot in the past nine years, he still saw her as the distraught teen that showed up at his door at 2am in the middle of a rainstorm, desperately seeking help.

"How about this. You bring Henry here after school and I'll have a talk with him about this. Afterwards, I will tell you what I think, and we can resolve this together, sound good?"

Emma nodded vigorously. She got up from the couch and went to give Archie a crushing hug. He was the closest to a father figure that she'd ever had, giving her advice throughout the years on how to deal with complicated topics. She knew the psychiatrist would never judge her, something she was immensely grateful for.

* * *

Henry pushed open the doors of the school, and looked around. Seeing his mother there, he ran towards her with a big grin of his face.

"Hey mom!" he greeted once he reached her.

"Hey kid, how was school?"

"Pretty good," Henry shrugged. "Are we going to Granny's?"

Emma sighed, and crouched in front of her son. "Look Henry, we didn't get to finish talking this morning, but I wanted you to go talk to Archie about the whole fairytale thing."

She had been expecting reluctance, but never what Henry had responded with. "Because he's Jiminy Cricket?"

The blonde blinked, making sure her hearing hadn't gone haywire. "What?"

"Archie. He's the cricket from Pinocchio."

Of course, this had to tie back to his theory. "Yeah, sure...I know it seems weird-"

"It's a brilliant idea mom! He can give me advice on how to break the curse!"

Emma took a deep breath, hoping she had enough patience to deal with this. "Well, what are we waiting for then?"

Henry grinned and started walking towards Main Street. Emma kept pace beside him, wondering if the right thing was to curb this obsession before it got too far, or if she should entertain it until he worked it out of his system and grew out of it.

* * *

Half an hour later and Henry came bounding into the diner, with Archie trailing behind him. While Henry was ordering a snack, Emma followed Archie to the back of the diner, and turned expectantly to see what he would say.

"He definitely has a very active imagination," Archie opened with, giving a small chuckle.

Emma hummed in response, a light smile gracing her features.

"As for the fairytale thing...I think I can guess to the cause of it," Archie continued.

She perked up instantly at that, looking at him intently. "Really? What is it?"

"What's the one thing that's always found in fairytales?"

"I don't know...magic?" Emma really didn't want to play guessing games, she just wanted to know what was going through the mind of her 9-year old son.

"What else?" he egged her on.

"Good versus evil? There's a lot of tropes and archetypes in fairytales, Archie."

The man sighed, and responded for her. "Love. True Love being the most powerful thing of all. All these stories have them, promising a bright future for the hero with a loved one and the possibility of a family."

Emma nodded slowly. "And what does that have to do with Henry? He wants to find a 'true love'? The kid is nine!"

Archie shook his head. "Not for himself. For  _you_."

She blinked, trying to make sure she understood correctly. "My son is trying to find  _me_  a true love? He told you this?"

"Not explicitly, but it's not hard to connect the dots. As you are the protagonist in his story, being the Saviour, the most logical outcome would be that you destroy the curse, bringing back everyone's happy endings, including yours. And since the hero always finds romance and sometimes also a family, it's safe to say Henry wants you to find just that."

Emma shakes her head, trying to make sense of this entire nonsense. "But why would Henry want to do that? Like does he think that I want this?"

"Have you ever indicated that you were interested in someone, or perhaps, mentioning the want for a family?"

"No, he doesn't even know that I was abandoned. He knows that neither Regina nor I have parents, but not why. Plus you know I haven't dated anyone since coming here."

Archie smiled. "Of course, but you can still yearn."

Emma threw him a look. "I don't yearn."

He put his hands up in a placating gesture. "If you say so. But you don't need to have explicitly mentioned it. Children are very perceptive. I'm sure he has asked for his father, and grandparents, seeing your reaction."

Emma tightened her jaw. "Don't tell me he thinks that  _bastard_  will somehow make his way back into our lives and that I'll accept him with open arms?"

Archie shook his head. "Not at all, but perhaps he's looking at someone else that can fulfill the role of a second parent. Someone that perhaps is already unofficially filling that spot?"

She squinted, puzzled at what the shrink was insinuating. "Regina? Henry wants Regina and I to officially become a family?"

"I think he already considers her to be family. When I asked him earlier about family, Henry included Regina in it quite easily."

"But I thought she was supposed to be the Evil Queen, you know, the one who cast the curse and that I supposedly must defeat in order to break that curse?"

Once more he shook his head. "Not specifically. Hence why I mentioned that Henry has a very active imagination. What better epic fairytale than having the Saviour and the Evil Queen falling for each other? Good and evil joining forces to break the curse."

Emma gave a lopsided smile. "You don't actually believe in the curse thing right?"

Archie turned to look back at the diner. Seeing Henry busy chatting with Ruby, he looked back at Emma. "Not  _that_  specific curse. But I do believe the actual curse Henry is talking about is the lack of 'happy endings' as he sees it. You see, kids want to see their fairy tales come to life. They believe that magic exists. Seeing the immediate people in his life: you, Regina, Ms. Blanchard, and Ruby to name some, all without what he classifies as a happy ending, he's bound to get ideas."

She nodded slowly, seeing where he was coming from. "So all I have to do is fall for someone and the 'curse' will be broken?"

"I don't think it works exactly like that." Archie grimaces, adding, "From what Henry said, I think he expects something akin to this incredible light show to happen the minute the curse breaks."

"Okay so I'll time a fireworks show to go off the minute I kiss someone," Emma shrugs like it was no big deal.

Archie chuckles but still shakes his head. "I would be careful with how you handle his belief system. It's clear that, instead of seeing the world as it is, he believes there has to be something more, because, and I quote, 'that can't be all there is.' If you try to fake the end of the curse, and he finds out, he might not take lightly to it."

"Oh come on, he believes in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. It's basically the same thing. He believes in something magical and Regina and I do our best to keep his belief going, like any parent does for their kid."

"I wouldn't say it's the exact same thing. Here he is taking real people and putting them up to a fictional counterpart. It's much more different than a faceless and vague fictional entity." Archie thought for a bit before trying another tactic to explain. "It's like finding an external reason to explain some sort of psychological event. So instead of dealing with nerves, you create a stomach ache, and therefore it becomes something you can deal with. For Henry, it's much like that. He doesn't know how to give real world people happy endings, especially yours. So what does he do? He makes them into fairytale characters, and all of a sudden, he knows how to give everyone their happy endings, find them their true love, and everything will be solved."

Emma snorted. "Easier said than done. If only finding true love were that easy."

He smiles at the quip, nodding. "But for a child, it is much easier. It's like adding 1 + 1."

"So what should I do?"

That is the million dollar question. "I'd say to let him be with it. Right now, it's a harmless fantasy, not much different than when he was simply obsessed with the book. If it does escalate, then we can see what to do."

"What about Regina?"

"Well I believe telling the truth is always the best solution, but the choice is up to you. I'm sure you'll know what's best to do."

Emma let out a deep breath, and nodded. "Thanks Archie. How much do I owe you for this one?"

He shook his head. "It's on the house. I'm doing this as a friend more than a psychiatrist. You needed help and guidance, charging you would be wrong."

Emma thanked him once again and went back out to where her son had been obliviously eating a muffin and drinking his hot chocolate, with cinnamon of course.

"Hey Ruby, can you watch Henry for a bit longer? I need to go talk to Regina."

"Sure thing Em."

"I'll be back in a bit kid." Emma kissed Henry's forehead, earning an exclamation from the child who saw himself as too cool for kisses from his mom, and she left for Town Hall.

Now she just had to figure out what in the world she was going to tell Regina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot moves forward!
> 
> Henry's playing matchmaker, and Emma has to decide what she's going to tell Regina.
> 
> Also, Archie and Emma's talk from nine years ago will be featured in the next chapter, so you guys'll be able to read all about it! And before anyone asks, I have absolutely no knowledge of professional psychology or had any training, so if there are any mistakes with what Archie said or recommended, I'm truly sorry.
> 
> But anyway, as always, I love hearing your thoughts, so don't be shy in reviewing!


	4. Companionship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> And we're back with more from this story! Emma was trying to figure out whether or not to tell Regina the truth regarding Henry's...theory as to who Regina really is.
> 
> Also this chapter will feature plenty of flashbacks so keep in mind to look after the break for the times so no one gets confused. Also italics. Past will be in italics.
> 
> And I suppose fair warning: mentions and insinuations of crappy childhoods ahead.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy this!

**9 years ago:**

_The rain hadn't let up for the past week since Emma Swan had come in with her child in her arms. Regina was astounded, she had never seen weather that terrible in all her time on this world, she only hoped it would stop soon._

_Now, she was making her way to Henry's room, where the fussy 3-month old hadn't stopped crying for most of the night._

_"Shhh Henry, it's okay, just go to sleep." Emma was soothingly trying to appease the boy, but to no avail._

_"Perhaps it's the storm?" Regina piped up from the doorway._

_"But he hasn't been this fussy this past week, and yesterday the storm was worse..." Emma sighed, gently rocking Henry as she tried to figure out how to get him to stop crying._

_Regina entered the room, wrapping the robe a bit tighter around herself, and grabbed a stool that was also in the room, going to sit beside the armchair Emma was in. "May I?"_

_Emma nodded and held Henry out to the brunette. The change was instantaneous. Henry quieted in a second, and the two women froze, arms intertwined with Henry between them._

_And then like lightning had struck her, Emma's movements quickened. She practically shoved Henry towards Regina, and stood up, heading out of the room._

_"Emma..."_

_The brunette stood up, the quiet baby still in her arms, and tried in vain to trail after the blonde who was headed downstairs and towards the front door at a much faster pace._

_"I need some air," was the only thing Emma said before she shut the door and left. Regina, who had been at the half-landing in the staircase when the door slammed, turned towards the window to her left, and looked out to the dark and stormy night, barely making out Emma walking out towards the town._

_She just had to hope Emma would come back soon._

* * *

_Archie went to his door, wondering who could be knocking at this time of night, or would even be out in the storm._

_Opening it, he found himself looking at a very soaked Emma Swan, nearly shivering but trying to put on an image of nonchalance. He had briefly met her a few days ago at the diner one morning, telling her that if she ever needed advice, she was more than welcome to come to him._

_It seemed she had taken him up on his offer. "C-can I come in?"_

_Hearing Emma's voice, Archie also noted that Emma was crying. He quickly nodded and stepped aside to let her in. "Of course. Living room is in to your left."_

_Emma went inside, discarding her boots near the entrance way, but didn't really make an effort to go towards the living room._

_Seeing Archie look at her, she said, "D-don't want to ruin your floor."_

_"It's alright Emma, it's just water. Now come on, let's talk about what's ailing you."_

_Once they had sat down, Emma launched into her story, with Archie sitting on the couch across from her, pen poised on a hard-backed notepad._

_"I just feel so inadequate, Archie. I see Regina with Henry, and I see that she'd be a great mother for him, she's great, she gets him to stop crying, and she genuinely enjoys being there for him. Meanwhile you've got me, the giant fuck-up that got pregnant and kept a child that she had no idea how to take care of._

_"I mean, I didn't even have parents that loved or took care of me. But I promised myself I'd never let my potential child go through the pain I did. Of having to ask countless times, alone at night, of why their parents abandoned them. But who was I kidding? I can't raise a child, I don't know the first thing about it, and hell, Regina technically named him, I wasn't even able to do that._

_"It's just too much Archie, what happens if I fuck things up big tim? If I make him hate me, or hurt him. I just wanted him to have a family."_

_By the time Emma was done talking, she was a sobbing mess. So Archie did what he thought was right, not as a doctor, but as a friend. He put down his notepad and pen, walked over to the sofa where Emma was, and gave her a side hug, pulling her closer to him, ignoring that Emma's clothes were soaking the side of his pyjamas._

_"I know I'm not a parent," Archie began. "But from what I've been told, parenting doesn't come with a manual. It's a trial by fire, and you're going to get burned. It might take a few tries to know what works for Henry and what doesn't, but you'll get there. As for Regina, I might not know much about the Mayor and her experiences with parenting, but it's not a be-all end-all situation where if you're not getting Henry to cooperate while Regina can do it, it means you've failed. If I had to guess, I'd say that it's because you're tired, and it shows._

_"But even if it wasn't, children are incredibly perceptive, and Henry can probably tell if you're tired or cranky, and reflects the distress he feels from you by crying. Regina is probably more at rest, and hence Henry is soothed. Having her calm him is no competition, or display of superiority. You're just having an off day."_

_"So, you don't think I'll fail miserably?"_

_Archie chuckled. "Not at all. You might make mistakes, and wish you had done something differently, but you'll work through it. Plus, you have someone there who is very willing to help."_

_Emma pulled away from the hug with a grin. "Thanks Archie."_

* * *

**Present:**

Emma stood in front of Town Hall, and took a deep breath. She really wasn't doing herself any favours, especially if Regina took this the wrong way, but she had a right to know. Parenting had its ups and downs, straining every relationship. And weren't they practically already that? Granted it wasn't anything official, but they were family in Emma's eyes.

Going inside, she came across Robbie, the current secretary for the Mayor.

"Good afternoon Sheriff," the teen looked up and gave her a polite smile.

"Hey Robbie, is Regina in?"

He nodded. "Yep, should I let her know you wish to speak to her?"

"Please."

In less than a minute, Emma was being ushered into Regina's office.

"Emma, is everything okay?" Regina looked up from her spot behind her desk, finding the blonde standing there by the closed doorway, a hint of nervousness present.

"Yeah..well kind of, but not really, I don't know."

Regina figured the blonde's ramblings were due to some very deep-set nerves. So she stood up, and walked over to where the blonde was standing, still as a post, taking one of her hands into her own. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's - well, actually, I uhm, it's a funny story..."

Regina wasn't able to make heads or tails at even what the subject could be about that was bothering Emma so much. So she grabbed her other hand as well, and led the other woman over to where the couch was, in front of the fireplace, sitting them both down, relatively close to one another. "Emma, please talk to me. What is this about?"

"Henrysstorybook," Emma said in a jumble of words.

Regina was only able to grasp the first few syllables. "Henry what?"

Emma sighed, and leant back, keeping her hands still encased within Regina's own, letting the brunette's calming motion of swiping her thumbs around the back of her hand calm her. She just needed to say it. They could solve this together. "His storybook."

Regina felt bile rising up in her throat. If Emma was nervous about it, it meant nothing good for Regina. Perhaps Henry had figured out the truth, and had told Emma. But she forced herself to calm down. If that had been the case, Emma wouldn't be here, letting Regina comfort her. So she just willed herself to appear neutral and said only, "Oh?"

"Yeah...he- he's kinda gotten  _more_  obsessed with it."

The brunette raised her eyebrows at hearing that. Henry was already plenty obsessed with the book, which left Regina constantly with her heart in her throat, waiting for the second shoe to drop. For him to realize the truth. For Regina to lose her family. "How so?"

"He...he thinks the people in the book are in this town. Living and breathing and all that jazz."

Regina hoped that her panic wasn't too noticeable. She kept her hands still on Emma's, and the soothing motion continuing, but inside her chest, her heart was beating ferociously, and her stomach had dropped. What could she say? What _should_  she say?

Before she could figure it out, Emma continued. "I was prepared to just call it a child's thing, y'know, like that time he was convinced he was a knight and had to fight a dragon."

She smiled. She remembered that, and wondered what Henry would do knowing an actual dragon dwelled beneath the library where Lacey worked at.

"But then, he started saying things, about..."

"About?" Regina prompted.

"Well...you."

Her eyes widened at Emma's response.

"He thinks...he thinks that, well, erhm." Emma took a deep breath and let it out as a deep sigh. It was now or never. "He thinks you're the Evil Queen."

Regina blinked once, twice. This could not be happening. "Emma, I-"

"Please don't be mad." Emma spoke over her, her eyes pleading as she tried to think about how to get Regina to not get offended over this debacle. "I know, and told Henry as much, that your kindness for the past 9 years makes you the furthest thing from evil, and apparently he only thinks you're the Evil Queen because you  _look_  like her image in his book, and although I can  _kinda_  see a small resemblance, it's way too far fetched. I actually talked with Archie about it, and Archie talked to Henry - he thinks Archie's Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio - and he has a theory as to why Henry's so adamant about this whole thing."

The brunette said nothing, but continued looking at Emma, wanting nothing more for her past to have stayed buried.

"He thinks that Henry wants everyone in this town to have their happy endings, find their true love and whatnot. And he thinks that Henry's way of dealing with it, is through making everyone into fairytales. He's trying to simplify the process y'know? Because in real life, finding that perfect someone isn't easy, I'm sure you know that as well as I do." Emma smiled as she said that last line. Despite having broached many topics, romance had never once been tip-toed on or insinuated. "So the fairytale thing becomes easier. Find them a true love, get their happy ending, become a real family, everything's butterflies and rainbows."

Regina then let go of Emma's hands, working through the theory. "Henry...wants you to find someone, your true love, and have him become your happy ending? A new perfect family? One that doesn't involve the Evil Queen?"

Emma's eyes shot open as she realized what Regina had understood. " _No!_ " Emma grabbed Regina's hands, and now the blonde was rubbing her thumbs over Regina's hands. "Actually far from it. Archie thinks that Henry wants us to become a  _real_  family. Like official and all that."

"Oh." Regina was shocked beyond comparison. "But if I'm the Evil Queen-"

"You're not. Archie said that Henry thinks it'd be the greatest love story ever told. The Evil Queen and the Saviour falling for each other and-"

Regina paled. "What did you say?"

"The greatest love story ever told?" Emma raised an eyebrow at Regina's question.

"After that."

"The Evil Queen and the Saviour."

Regina swallowed thickly before gathering the courage to ask, "And who is the Saviour in this situation?"

"Me."

* * *

**9 years ago:**

_Regina woke up, startled, as she heard the front door close. She had fallen asleep in the armchair in Henry's room, waiting for Emma to come back from when she ran out before and into the storm._

_Checking that Henry was fast asleep, Regina left the room and padded her way downstairs, and found a very drenched Emma Swan standing stock still in the foyer. "Emma! Stay there, I'll get some towels."_

_Regina quickly went to the linen and grabbed half a dozen or so towels, before going back down to where Emma was practically frozen in place. "Living room, now."_

_Emma wordlessly followed Regina, who was already setting out a couple of towels on top of the leather sofa cushion. "Now strip, I won't have you catching pneumonia."_

_The blonde blinked, not saying a word nor making an effort to move._

_Regina saw Emma, and gave a light groan as she rolled her eyes. "Now is really not the time to be playing shy Emma. You don't have anything I haven't seen before, but if it really bothers you, I'll turn around. You can use this towel," Regina held out the biggest towel she had - it could probably double as a carpet Emma figured - before continuing, "and wrap it around yourself."_

_Emma took the offered large towel, while Regina turned around, trying to get the fireplace on, letting Emma strip and cover herself with the towel wrapped around her shoulders._

_"Ready?"_

_Emma gave a small hum, and Regina gently led her to the sofa. "Sit."_

_While Emma did that, adjusting the towel so it covered the knees she had drawn up to her chest, Regina wrapped the soggy clothes Emma had discarded in a towel. Going back to the sofa, Regina put another towel over the blonde, and pulled the younger woman close to her, gently rubbing her shoulder to get her warmed up and stop shivering._

_"Now, do you want to talk about what's going on?"_

_"I...I just needed some fresh air, I feel like my entire life has been turned upside down. I mean, in one week I've gotten a house to raise my child, a job in law enforcement, a partner to help raise Henry, who even named him." Both women smiled, before Emma continued. "But I feel so inadequate Regina. I don't know how to raise a child! And seeing you get Henry to calm down just by holding him made me feel like I was screwing up, so I left, and went to talk to Archie for advice."_

_"At 2 am?" Regina asked, turning to face the woman in her arms._

_Emma shrugged. "He answered the door. And he told me that it probably just me being tired, that Henry could probably feel my distress, and that parenting isn't easy, and I know that, but I guess I felt that I had no idea what I was doing?" Emma groaned loudly. "God, I don't know Regina, I don't know the first thing about parenting, I've never even **had**  a parent that was even halfway decent that I could pull from inspiration, but here I am, a stubborn ass trying to raise my son because I didn't want him to go through the same thing I did. But it feels so pedantic y'know? Like hell, it won't be much of an accomplishment if Henry is completely fucked up just because I tried to raise him."_

_Once Emma was done rambling, Regina pulled the younger woman closer to her, and said, "You're not inadequate Emma, plus you have me. I think it's impossible that the two of us will screw up that badly with Henry. Besides, I think it's noble, rather than pedantic, for you to want to give Henry a better life than the one you had."_

_Emma gave a weak smile, and then asked the question she had wanted to ask for the past few days. "But what happens if you get bored of having to put up with me and Henry? I don't want to make you feel like you have to put up with all of this shit for the long run just because you took pity on us."_

_"Emma Swan, you listen to me." Regina gently grasped Emma's chin, and got the blonde to look at her. "I won't pretend that we're going to magically turn into a family anytime soon, or ever if you're not interested, but I willingly agreed to this because I want to be a part of this, and I will not give up any time soon. I signed up to help you, and that is what I'll do. Got it?"_

_Emma meekly nodded, the awe she had for the brunette increasing a hundred-fold. "Thank you. Also, you'd make a great mother."_

_Regina chuckled. "Thank you dear, though I wouldn't consider myself to have had any better parenting than you had."_

_Emma bit her lip as her eyes widened. "You were in foster care too?"_

_"What?" Now all of Emma's comments made sense. Not having any parents to help her raise Henry, not wanting to give Henry up. Emma was an orphan._

_"I...I was abandoned on the side of a freeway when I was a day old. For the past 14 years I've bounced around foster homes."_

_"I thought you were 19?"_

_"I am; for my first 3 glorious years, I was with a foster family, and they were great. Until they got pregnant and decided that keeping an adopted kid wasn't worth it."_

_Regina felt a furious fire awaken at hearing those words._

_Emma continued, "Then I just kept jumping around everywhere, until I ran away when I was 17 after a particularly nasty foster family. Then freedom, jail, and now here."_

_The two stayed silent for a while, neither looking at the other, but still Regina kept the blonde in her arms._

_Emma meekly asked, "How was your childhood like?"_

_The brunette sighed, wondering how to explain bypassing the magic and Middle Age setting. "Terrible. Unlike you, I did have my parents, but they were...not good. My father, he used to have a...political position of relative power, until a scandal forced him to retire. From then on, my mother was obsessed with regaining that power and stature. She wanted me to become the perfect, well, leader. She used to reprimand me using the most evil of methods, all to get me to comply with her ideas of how I was supposed to act and live. My father just let her have her way with me, standing to the side._

_"And I suppose she won. Guarded, friendless, in a position of power."_

_Emma turned to look once more at Regina. "That's not true. I mean the position of power and guarded-ness might be true, but you've got Henry and me, so you're not friendless."_

_Regina gave a small chuckle. "And I'm lucky to have such good company."_

* * *

"Regina?"

The brunette felt Emma gently trying to shake her out of her stupor. "Sorry, I must've just spaced out."

Emma tried to hide her look of disbelief. Regina was hardly ever spacing out. This must be bad. "Look, I'm really sorry about Henry, I-"

"Don't worry about it, Emma. We'll figure it out." Regina attempted to sell it more by flashing an easy smile.

The blonde could tell Regina was internally freaking out, but knew enough to not push.

Regina cleared her throat and stood up, putting distance between the two women. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must meet with someone."

"Oh yeah? Who?" Emma asked, standing up as well as she watched Regina head to her desk and grab her purse.

"Mr. Gold."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, Regina and Gold showdown coming up next!
> 
> So this chapter was more fluff and family bonding, I really wanted to show that Regina and Emma trust each other a lot, and the nice little family they've got going on, and how they go to it. Also once more, not a psychiatrist of any sort or type with zero certification, so please don't take what Archie says to be some kind of gospel truth.
> 
> But yeah! Emma told Regina the truth!
> 
> Now, this one will be a short-ish fic, I'm thinking 9 or so chapters, mainly because this fic was intended to just cover up till the curse breaks, but we'll see how things go! So we're about halfway through!


	5. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> More wonderful chapters coming up for this story, and we'll be reaching the end soon enough!
> 
> Remember, flashbacks are in italics and dated, relative to the present events.
> 
> Also I am BEAT! Just today I've written more than 4,000 words, and put out two fic chapters.
> 
> Not much more to say, so just sit back, and enjoy!

Regina entered the pawnshop with the furious righteousness that can only come from an Evil Queen.

Gold looked up at hearing the bell ring, and put on his patented smirk. "Madam Mayor, to what do I owe the honour of welcoming you into my shop?"

"You knew," Regina ground out, taking steady steps to stand right in front of the imp, only a glass counter in between them.

"I know a lot of things dearie, you will need to be more specific."

"The Saviour, you knew who she was!"

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, Madam Mayor, but if you're feeling unwell, I'd advise you to take the rest of the day off," he responded with an easy air.

"Cut the crap Gold, you know  _exactly_  what I'm talking about." Regina would not be deterred, so she glared at the man in front of her to make sure he knew she meant business. "You knew Emma was going to come and break the curse, didn't you?"

Gold sighed. "Well then, if we're going to do this, then allow me to clarify something for you. Ms. Swan is not going to break the curse  _because_  she's the Saviour. Rather, she will break the curse only because she means something to you, and therefore becoming the Saviour due to that. She wouldn't be able to break the curse otherwise."

Regina narrowed her eyes and sneered. "You mean to tell me that you willingly allowed me to become attached to the Saviour and thereby giving her the power to break my curse?"

"Well, your Majesty, the curse was created for you, and its sole purpose is to bring about  _your_  happy ending. Therefore, I'm inclined to think that the breaking of the curse will come about with the realization that you do have a happy ending, and that it has everything to do with the little Swan family you've taken in. I'd hazard a guess that even if I had told you about it, it'd have still come to pass one way or another."

"But this is ridiculous. I am a villain, I don't get a happy ending."

Gold chuckled. "Then why ask for the curse in the first place?"

* * *

**9 years ago:**

_Regina was internally panicking. She had made sure that her town was hidden, unable to be reached from the outside world. And yet somehow, the Swan family had managed to come right in._

_Not that she was complaining, she loved having the little family bring some happiness and laughter into her life. But she worried...what would this mean for the future of Storybrooke, and her curse? What if the Saviour could just as easily come in to the town and destroy everything? Take Emma and Henry away from her? She couldn't risk it, so she went to the one person she knew would have the answers._

_"Good day Madam Mayor. It seems we've been having a run of inclement weather, wouldn't you say?"_

_The imp was always a tricky one to handle, and Regina could never quite figure out if he knew about his life before the curse, or not. "Indeed, but I'm sure it'll clear up soon. I actually wanted to ask you something..."_

_"Fire away dearie."_

_"Do you not find it a bit odd that the Swans appeared in town? How do you figure they managed to get here?" Regina kept her question vague. Should he really not know, it was best she didn't raise suspicion._

_"I imagine they came here in the horrendous contraption that Ms. Swan calls a car, guided by a map."_

_Regina smirked a bit. It was good to know she wasn't the only one who hated that yellow thing. As for the sass... "Yes I can figure that out myself, Gold, seeing as I have to see that car every day. But isn't there anything suspicious about their arrival?"_

_Gold gave a small shrug. "Unless you mean the fact that their arrival coincides with this wonderful storm we're experiencing, not at all. I'm curious as to why you're asking me about it. Wouldn't it be better to ask Ms. Swan yourself?"_

_Regina was clearly getting nowhere here. "Perhaps. Have a good day, Gold."_

* * *

"Regina?" The brunette looked up and saw Henry peeking his head into her study.

"Henry, is everything alright?" she asked.

The nine year-old boy nodded his head. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, you needn't ask." Once the boy was inside, she asked, "Did you want to talk about something?"

Henry nodded, and fidgeted, hands behind him, biting his lip a bit. He was so much like his mother that it astounded Regina.

She stood up and went around her desk, walking up to the boy, and leant down so she was at Henry's eye level. "Henry? What is it?"

"I'm sorry... for the whole Evil Queen thing," he brought his hands around him, which held the book that started it all. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Regina was confused for a moment. She and Henry hadn't even spoken about this. She was surprised that Henry even knew that she knew. "It's alright, Henry...did Emma ask you to apologize?"

"No, she just told me that you were sad because I called you the Evil Queen, and that I should probably try to make it right... so here," Henry held out the book.

"Henry, you don't need to give your book."

"But I do. It's what caused this problem. I don't want to lose my family...I just hoped we'd become a real family," Henry explained, teary eyed.

"Oh Henry," Regina knelt down in front of the boy and took him in her arms. "You don't need fairytales to have that happen."

* * *

**5 years ago:**

" _So Henry, how was school?" Emma asked._

_Henry just shrugged, saying nothing, not eating his dinner, using his spoon to move the food around._

_Emma and Regina looked at each other with worry for Henry's glumness._

_"Henry, did something happen?" Regina asked._

_"Toby called me a liar," Henry mumbled._

_Regina's eyes narrowed, not in anger at Henry, but at the boy he had mentioned, "Why did he do that?"_

_"He telled me that it wasn't possibel-ble for me to have two mommies."_

_Both women's eyes met once more, but now it was with shock._

_"...Henry, I... uhm," Regina was lost at how to tackle this._

_"Henry, Toby was wrong, it **is**  possible to have two mommies, just like some people have two daddies. But you don't have two mommies," Emma explained._

_"Why not?"_

_"Because..." Emma faltered._

_"It's a long story Henry, you'll understand when you're older," Regina said, trying to give a non-answer to pacify the boy's curiosity for now._

_Henry just pouted, "You guys always say that."_

_"And there's a reason for that, Henry, there are some things that you just can't understand yet," Emma added._

* * *

_"You know, you could become his mom too if you wanted?" Emma asked a few hours later, standing at the threshold of Regina's bedroom._

_Regina looked up from the book she was reading, peering over her reading glasses to look at the blonde wearing her tank top and boxer shorts - what she dubbed as sleeping wear, though Regina had her reservations about it - and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"_

_Emma entered the room, and sat at the edge of the bed. "What Henry said today...I know we never really talked about it, but I wouldn't say no if you wanted to become part of the family. We don't have to marry or anything...but just uhm, I'm not sure, I mean-"_

_"Emma, it's alright," Regina said, trying to soothe the woman in front of her. "But to answer your question; I'm flattered you'd want to include me, but I think it's best that we keep our roles as these. You being his mother, and I'm just Regina."_

_Emma nodded. Truth was, she was a bit downcast at hearing that. She had hoped she and Regina could become a family. She had a huge crush on the brunette, and Emma understood this to mean that Regina did not feel the same way, and didn't want to tie herself down, in case she fell for someone else and decided to start a family of her own with them. It was selfish for Emma to take the kind offer that Regina had extended as anything more than just that, a woman being kind and charitable, not a possibility to start of a family._

_"Sounds good!" Emma plastered a smile on her face. "I should probably leave you to your reading. I just wanted to ask in case you were interested..."_

_Regina smiled a soft smile. "Thank you for asking, I'm honoured you'd even consider it."_

_After Emma left, Regina sighed. She wanted nothing more than to accept the blonde's offer. But she couldn't. What would happen once the curse broke? After 22 years, she had resigned herself that the Saviour would one day break the curse, it was inevitable. So where did that leave her? Emma and Henry would be devastated and horrified at finding out just who she was. She had to keep her distance, otherwise, they would feel even more betrayed once they found out the truth._

_And Regina would fight tooth a nail to keep her family. She naively hoped that maybe, Emma and Henry would see past all of that, and still love her, but it was a pipe-dream._

* * *

"I don't?" Henry asked.

"Not at all. Perhaps all we needed was a little push," Regina said with a wink. "Also, you can keep the book."

Merely a week ago, she would've been ecstatic at being given an opportunity to take the book away, keep the truth hidden. But the 28th year mark was approaching, and there was nothing to be gained from hiding the truth. But Regina had a plan.

She had to at least try.

"Really?" Henry asked, excited.

"Yes, who knows what other magical things you might find?" Regina responded with a smile. "Now let's go find your mother."

* * *

**6 years ago:**

_Emma felt that her luck had run out. She was having a hell of a week, it was making her cranky, which made Henry cranky. All of that led to one very angry Regina, who was at her wit's end._

_She wasn't even sure what had been the catalyst for this. She'd been fine on Monday, but then Tuesday comes around and it's like she has two left feet and forgot how human beings should function. She was spilling everything, putting things where they weren't supposed to be, saying the wrong things. It was chaos, and Emma wasn't sure what to do._

_So she did the only thing she could think of, and went to Archie's._

_"Emma, how are you?" Archie asked, seeing the frazzled blonde at her office door._

_"Not great. Can we talk?"_

_Archie nodded. "Of course, come right in."_

_Emma was thankful that she had been able to get Ashley to take Henry, who had become fast friends with Alex. At least she could talk alone._

_"What seems to be the problem?" Archie asked once they settled in their seats._

_"Honestly, I haven't a fucking clue. I mean, I was fine on Monday, but now I just feel like I'm doing everything wrong, and I can't figure out **why** , and I'm making so many mistakes, which means that in turn I'm driving Henry insane, and just outright annoying Regina...It's gotten to the point that Ruby told me that Regina fired her current secretary just like that._

_"I mean, I didn't really like Dubois in the first place, but apparently the guy just forgot to staple some papers together and she offed with his head. I'm just worried that I'm screwing this up for everyone around me and that they'll all hate me."_

_Archie pondered for a moment and then said, "I think there's a few things at play here. First of all, Emma, what's the longest time you've ever been in one place?"_

_Emma frowned for a moment. "I...here I guess. 3 years...to the week I think."_

_"Precisely. You've told me that you're a runner. I think that your body is trying to adjust to this new life of staying in one place. But you're getting antsy at the stillness, doubting your place here, which is in turn also feeding to your wanting to get away, but you've got other people to think of now, and while all of that is being processed, you keep fumbling, because your mind cannot be working on so many things at once._

_"As for Dubois, I've heard he's had some shady happenings here and there, and of course he would paint himself as the victim, with the Mayor as the bad guy, especially knowing that most of the town sees her as standoffish._

_"But I wouldn't worry Emma, I don't think you're at fault here. The point is to know that you're committed to this life, make yourself **see**  that you aren't going anywhere, and teach yourself that you can't run away every time the going gets tough. It's not going to be easy to get used to the changes, but you will eventually. Both Henry and Regina will understand that you care for them no matter what, on the good, and on the bad days."_

* * *

Emma looked up from her laptop seeing Regina walk in.

"Hey, did Henry go apologize?"

Regina nodded, "Yes he did, but he didn't need to, I'm not angry with him."

"So you said...though my hat's off to you. He called you the Evil Queen and now you're just shrugging it off, and just, thank you for being patient with this."

The brunette went to sit down beside Emma on the sofa, and the blonde put her laptop on the coffee table and placed her arms on her crossed legs. "You don't need to thank me Emma, it's part of parenting to sometimes be faced in situations like these."

Emma said nothing, mostly because she was shocked. They never really referred to themselves as 'parenting', at least not officially.

"I was wondering if maybe you'd reconsider my response to what you asked me some years ago, about becoming a real family?"

She was sure she had to be gaping, and based on Regina's chuckle, she probably was making herself a grade A comedic fool. "What?"

And -1 point for Emma on 'how to be coherent when your crush makes you speechless'.

"I know we've kind of skirted the topic, but I'd like to give it a try. I feel that, after 9 years, we are practically a family, so why not see if we work together as partners?"

"Really? Is this because of Henry? Because if it is Regina, you don't have to do this..."

Regina clasped each of Emma's hands with her own. "I want to do this for myself, Emma. Henry just provided the last push. The last time you had asked me about this, I had thought that maybe I wasn't adequate enough to truly be in this role. That as long as I was just Regina, and not anything more, then maybe my mistakes wouldn't be seen as badly by you."

"That's impossible Regina. You've done more for me and Henry than anyone has ever done in my entire life. And I'm not exaggerating in the least. Plus, I'm the champion with screwing things over with Henry, like I've lost count with all the times I've bungled up in the past nine years."

The two women smiled at each other, happy to have found a kindred spirit in someone that - despite their crummy pasts - were trying to do right with their new family.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Emma asked.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we try this whole dating thing, ease Henry into it. But I'd rather the town not be privy to our little shift...I'm not exactly fond of all their narrow-minded gossip."

Emma nodded fervently. "You and me both. So, dinner tomorrow night?"

Regina grinned, and leant forward to give Emma a small kiss on the cheek. "It's a date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was this chapter!
> 
> Lots of things happening, and lucky for you guys, this fic'll be getting a double update! [It's a thing I'm doing for all my fics to celebrate the holidays]
> 
> As you can tell, I've changed some things around as to how the curse could be broken.
> 
> And Emma got a kiss on the cheek! She must've just collapsed with a dopey grin.
> 
> Let me know what you thought, and I'll be updating in a few days!
> 
> Again, no claims to being a psychiatrist, so take everything with a pinch of salt.
> 
> I'm thinking I'll have this story finished by January, so hopefully you won't have much more to wait!
> 
> Also I'm probably going to be doing a cover for this fic too.


	6. Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, the second update to this fic!
> 
> This chapter will be nearly pure fluff, as well as some adorable holiday shenanigans, so enjoy!
> 
> Just one last note, there's a lot of jumping forward and time skips in this chapter. I didn't add concrete times because I didn't iron out 'okay this happens 2 months after' or anything, but rather just to show their changing dynamic.

Emma was on cloud nine. Her date with Regina couldn't have gone better. They went out of town for it, preferring to go someplace where no one would judge them if they held hands or shared their food.

Now, Emma had just shut the car engine after parking in their driveway. "I suppose this would be the point where a traditional couple parts and ends the date, but seeing as we kinda live together, we'll have to improvise."

Regina gave a light chuckle. "Well, I can always invite you in for a nightcap?"

"That could work."

"So Ms. Swan, how would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

Emma grinned, "Let's go!"

10 minutes later found the two women lounging on the sofa side by side, each with a cup of cider in their hand.

"Emma..." Regina bit her lip. She'd been trying to find a way to tackle this subject in some way that wouldn't seem suspicious, but for now she hadn't been able to figure out how.

"Everything okay?" Emma asked, turning to the woman beside her once she saw that Regina wasn't going to continue with her sentence unprompted.

"I...I'm not entirely sure how to ask this..."

"Just ask; I'll understand whatever you have to say, there's no need to be nervous."

Regina let out a deep sigh, and put down her glass on the table. Emma mimicked her actions, never straying her gaze from the brunette.

"I know that...as a couple, one of the many things that would be normal to do is to...kiss, on the lips. I was wondering if maybe we could withhold from that...not that we can't kiss on the cheek or other places but for now...can we avoid kissing on the lips?" Regina hoped that Emma wouldn't want explanations or clarifications, and she'd accept it. She waited with baited breath for an answer.

It certainly was a strange request, one of the strangest she had heard, which was taking into consideration Henry's phase a few years ago when he demanded that any glasses that he drank out of had to be wet on the outside as well. But Emma cared a lot for Regina, and she couldn't find it in her heart to deny her. "Of course, and you can let me know when you're ready, okay?"

Regina nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you," she said, punctuating it with a kiss on her cheek.

She knew that the minute she kissed Emma Swan on the lips, she would break the curse. She'd be accepting her happy ending, acknowledging it with a kiss. But she wasn't prepared to deal with the consequences, like what would happen once the curse broke and everyone remembered who they were, and when they tell Emma and Henry all the things she'd done in the past. She just couldn't let that happen. She wanted this, she wanted to experience this happiness that she'd been depriving herself of for nearly 10 years.

She wanted to have the Swans as part of her family.

And she'd enjoy every minute that she could.

* * *

"Hey kid, how was school?" Emma asked after closing the door. She'd had a late shift at the station and she had just arrived home, going to greet Henry who was doing homework in the living room.

"It was good. Mr. Perry's experiment blew up though...I think he's going to get into trouble for it," Henry explained.

Emma chuckled. She had heard the 911 call earlier today but the firefighters had assured her that everything was under control, so she was thankfully spared from having to handle that. "So I've heard. Now you go finish your homework and I'm going to go find Regina and see if she needs help with dinner, okay?"

Henry nodded with a smile.

"And if you need get stuck with homework, just give us a shout okay?"

"Okay mom!"

Emma had heard sounds from the kitchen and saw Regina in deep thought as she cut up vegetables. Slipping her arms around the brunette's waist, Emma put a gentle kiss on Regina's neck before murmuring, "Hey babe."

Regina smiled and gently leaned back so her body was pressed fully against Emma. "Hello darling, how was work?"

"Boring, but you know, duty and all that fun stuff. How was your day?"

Regina continued chopping the vegetables in front of her while she answered, "Uneventful but stressing. Budget reports needed to be written, and they are never fun."

The blonde gave a small hum, looking over Regina's left shoulder. "Need any help?"

"I'd love some. Can you put some water to boil in the pot I took out?"

"Sure thing." Emma accentuated the answer with a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek and set to work.

* * *

"Good night Henry," Emma said, standing in the doorway beside Regina.

"'Night moms," Henry mumbled sleepily.

The two women closed the door, and Emma noted with a smile that Regina seemed to be in a state of shock. Pulling the brunette close to her, Emma kissed her on the forehead. "You okay?"

"Did he just...acknowledge me as 'mom'?" In the past, it had always been: goodnight mom, goodnight Regina. Now Regina was stunned.

"He did. If it makes you uncomfortable then..."

"No," Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's middle and hugged the blonde tight, and said, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me Regina. If we're comparing notes, you are as much his mom as I am. You have every right to be acknowledged as his mom," Emma said, rubbing her hands soothingly over Regina's back.

After a few minutes, they broke apart, and Emma cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, I suppose I'll be heading to my room, 'night Regina."

Emma started to turn around, but Regina grabbed her by the hand and stopped her. "Come," she said, pulling Emma towards her own room.

"Seriously?" Emma asked, eyes wide, letting the brunette lead her.

Regina nodded. "We're dating, I think sharing a room is natural."

"Well we already share a house and a son and have been doing so for nearly 10 years, I think 'natural' is a relative term."

The brunette just chuckled and gave Emma a peck on the nose.

* * *

Today was Regina's day off. There was this huge maintenance being done at Town Hall so she was working from home.

Emma and Henry were set to arrive at any minute and she could hardly contain her excitement. She never thought that she'd be so excited as something so average and normal as getting to see her family even though she had seen them barely 8 hours ago.

She heard the door open and close, and suddenly Henry and Emma were entering her office.

"Hi mom!" Henry greeted.

Regina still got butterflies each time she heard Henry call her 'mom'. They hadn't really talked about it or made her title official since he just started using it a few days ago, but in Henry's eyes, he was just doing the right thing.

"Regina?" Henry asked, coming to stand beside her chair.

"Yes Henry, what is it?" she responded softly, turning her chair so she was facing the young boy. Emma just hovered in the middle of the room, hands in her pockets.

"Do you mind me calling you mom? I know I didn't ask, but I thought that now that you two were dating..."

"Of course I don't, Henry. If you feel comfortable enough to call me mom, and you think of me as your mom, then I'll be more than honoured to take on that role."

His smile could've lit up the town for years. He launched himself into a hug and Regina returned it with vigour. She glanced at Emma and saw that her girlfriend had moist eyes from watching the scene.

Once their hug ended, Henry frowned and asked, "Wait, how will you two know who I'm calling when I say 'mom'?"

Emma answered that one with a grin, "Easy. Just holler 'mom!' and see who appears. If that's not who you wanted, just say 'no I meant other mom!'"

All three of them burst into laughter at that.

After they all caught their breaths, Henry went to go do his homework, leaving the two women alone.

"Hey," Emma said, leaning over the desk to give Regina a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," Regina responded, grabbing Emma's face with her hands and delivering a kiss right beside her lips.

* * *

Regina's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at seeing the blonde snoring lightly as she slept. The smile became a mischievous grin as she slowly moved around and settled once she was straddling Emma's hips. Then she leaned down, planting her hands on the bed on either side of Emma's head for support, and starting peppering the blonde's face with kisses - of course avoiding the blonde's lips. It was getting harder and harder to avoid kissing Emma on the lips, but she wasn't ready yet.

Emma was grinning by the time she opened her eyes, and greeted, "'Morning," with sleep still in her voice.

"Happy birthday darling."

"Thank you," the blonde grinned, allowing Regina to keep showering her with kisses.

"So today, I was thinking the three of us could have dinner together? You decide where. If you want to get out of town or stay here, it's up to you."

Emma grinned, all of this felt so right. She wanted to convey her happiness and all the love she felt by kissing Regina on the lips, but she wouldn't dare betray Regina's boundaries. When she was ready, she'd tell Emma, she was sure of it.

"Let's go out of town. I think Henry would love that little place in Portland we found a few weeks back, the one with all the pasta."

Regina nodded, knowing where Emma was talking about. "Deal. Now come on. The birthday girl deserves a birthday breakfast."

* * *

Emma felt, for the first time in her life, that everything was going her way. She had a gorgeous girlfriend that was the most kind and affectionate woman she had ever encountered, and she smiled as the brunette squeezed herself closer to her while they watched their movie in the living room.

Their son, Henry, was a bundle of joy. Now at 10 years old, he had thankfully dropped the whole fairytale thing. He still read it from time to time, but other fantasy books and comics were also populating his reading list, something that made Emma breathe so much easier. Henry was sitting to her other side, transfixed with the movie.

After so many years of searching, hoping, praying and wishing, she had her family. Everything about this just gave her the best feeling in the world, and made her jut her chest out in pride that she had managed to get a wonderful life going for her.

In a few weeks it'd be Christmas, and she couldn't wait to start hunting for presents.

* * *

"So mom, what are we going to get her?" Henry asked without preamble.

Emma pursed her lips in thought. "Haven't a clue kid. Any ideas?"

After a few minutes, he grinned. "I've got it! You know the other day while we were at the greeting card store getting Mary Margaret and David an engagement card?"

She nodded. After David Nolan had woken up from his coma, he had instantly fallen for Mary Margaret, and they were already engaged after 6 months of being together. "Did you see something at the store?"

"Yeah, there was this picture frame that had 'family' on it. I think mom'll like it."

"I think so too," Emma grinned.

* * *

"Hey mom, do you have any ideas what to get mom for Christmas?"

Regina looked up and saw Henry in front of her. She put down the book she had been reading and put it on the coffee table. "I actually was brainstorming a few ideas..."

"Like what?" he asked, clambering onto the sofa beside her.

"Well, I was thinking of getting her a necklace, with a pendant. It'd be heart shaped, with a swan engraved on the front, and on the back, our names. What do you think?"

Henry gave a wide grin. "I think she'd love it."

"Wonderful. Now, you'll need to keep her busy while I go buy it, deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

"Hmmm, man I just feel like letting the mattress swallow me whole. I swear the holiday season hasn't been this busy in Storybrooke in years," Emma groaned as she collapsed on the bed, drawing the covers up to her chin before turning to face her girlfriend.

Regina chuckled. She put away her book, reading glasses, and turned off her bedside lamp. She shuffled further into her bed and turned to face Emma. "It's the same every year, dear, you just forget it and get overwhelmed every time."

"Nah, I definitely think it's busier," Emma insisted.

"If you say so. But anyway, we have to buy our son his gifts."

Emma gave a snort of laughter. "You spoil him, I swear."

"Well of course, families always have one parent that spoils them."

Even in the darkness, Regina could see Emma's adorable pout. "Oh come on, I spoil him too!"

"Of course darling, I'm just going to spoil him a little bit more. I want him to know how glad I am to become a part of this family," she accentuated this with a kiss to Emma's nose.

"Regina, you've always been part of this family. I guess now it's just a bit more official."

* * *

Regina felt the tears prickle her eyes as she finished unwrapping the gift that Henry and Emma got her. The picture of the 3 of them was one she cherished. It had been taken a few weeks after she had started to date Emma. Her girlfriend had put the camera on a timer, and then rushed back to her spot, where she was kissing one of Regina's cheeks, while Henry kissed the other. To have it framed so nicely, and with the 'family' engraving, it made it all the more gorgeous.

"Thank you," she said, kissing Henry on the forehead, and giving Emma a kiss on the jaw. "I love it more than words can express. I'll take it to my office when I go back after the holidays, that way I can have my family with me all the time."

Henry's gifts made the young boy light up. He was ecstatic at the new video games - Emma promised that she would kick his butt on all of them - and the new bicycle stored in the garage, as well as some new comic trades.

Emma was last, and she just outright couldn't come up with words as she looked at the necklace. To some it might not seem like much, but to her, it was everything that she could've wished for. It was a symbol. A symbol that showed just who her family was, and how much they mattered to her, and how much she mattered to them.

"Here, let me help you put it on," Regina offered.

While Regina did that, Henry asked, "So, did you like it?"

By way of answering, she pulled Henry towards her, and once she saw that Regina was done putting the necklace on her, she pulled Regina close to her too. With her family in her arms, she said, "Of course. I love it, and I love you two more than words can express."

As Emma kissed Henry on the cheek and Regina on the forehead, the brunette realized something.

This was the first time she had ever said the words 'I love you' to her. Regina loved Emma too, so much than she had ever thought it would be possible. After Daniel, she had resigned that she'd never experience something like his love. But Emma gave her that and more.

With that, Regina decided on something.

She'd have to tell Emma the truth sometime soon.

* * *

Regina awoke feeling Emma pressed against her back, hands wound around her middle.

After 2 months, she'd finally tell Emma the truth tonight. Somehow.

She let out a soft chuckle as she felt Emma kiss her shoulder. "Morning beautiful. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentines day darling. We're still good for tonight, right?" Regina asked, turning in Emma's arms.

"Of course. I reserved a private dinner for us at Tony's for 8," Emma responded.

"Wonderful. I love you," Regina said, kissing Emma on the cheek.

"And I love you," Emma responded, placing a kiss on the tip of Regina's nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weee! Told you there'd be fluff!
> 
> How many times did I have you guys thinking that they'd kiss on the lips?
> 
> Also it always makes me laugh when I'm switching between stories and I have to keep in mind 'okay these two are supposed to hate each other, these are head over heels for the other...' honestly I just need to drag all of the Emma's and Regina's in my fics and make them kiss. Problem solved and the end.
> 
> But that wouldn't really be a story now would it.
> 
> But I digress!
> 
> So that was that update, next up will be In Sickness and In Health and then Date in the Name of the Law! Two chapters for each, as well as daily updates to Coldly Calculated.
> 
> I hope everyone liked this chapter, and I'll be back with finishing this fic in the New Year!
> 
> I'd love to know your thoughts!


	7. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And what we've all been waiting for!
> 
> Or maybe not, I dunno, I'm excited about getting this chapter on the road, I think [and hope] that everyone will enjoy it! Longest chapter yet for this.
> 
> Also, cover for this fic is now on the first chapter! I finally got around to it so woot!
> 
> Now let's get things started!

Regina wasn't nervous. To admit that she was nervous would imply a whole slew of other feelings, and she wasn't ready to do that quite yet. It was sufficient to know that she would be telling Emma the truth in a few hours, and she refused to back down. So much was at stake.

Emma came bounding in to their bedroom, already talking. "So I somehow managed to get Mary Margaret and David to volunteer to take Henry for the night. You'd think that, being Valentine's Day, they would want to go out and do their thing, but apparently their honeymoon engagement phase has left them numb to the whole Valentine's Day thing. But don't worry, I didn't tell them...Hey, you okay?"

She saw Emma approach her, gently coming up to stand in front of her, hands on her upper arms, rubbing soothingly. "Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"Is everything okay? You seem a little bit off..."

"I-" How could Regina possibly begin to explain the turmoil going through her head right now?

"Is this because we're going on a date in Storybrooke? If you want, we can cancel or do something else and-"

"No! No it's alright, darling, I'll be fine." Regina wasn't sure if she was saying that to assure Emma, or herself.

Emma just gave her girlfriend a knowing look. "Something is wrong, what is it?"

She's not sure what made her want to be a little bit sincere in her response, but next thing she knew, she was saying, "I don't want to lose you."

"What?" Emma engulfed her, and Regina clung tightly, not wanting to respond to Emma's one-word inquiry. "Regina you're  _not_  going to lose me, what makes you say that?"

Regina just shook her head. "Nothing, I just...let's enjoy tonight's dinner."

Emma wanted nothing more than to try find out what exactly was bothering Regina so much. She couldn't think of a single plausible reason as to why Regina would fear losing her. So she did the next best thing, and gave her a soft kiss to her forehead. "I promise you Regina, you're not going to lose me."

She wished she could believe that Emma would keep that promise, but there was so much at stake here.

"Now come on, let's go have our date, okay?"

* * *

Dinner at Tony's was wonderful. It was a private room, and Tony assured them his discretion. Coupled with a few winks, and Regina was reminded how nice her old Chef at the castle was. She's glad that Tony could enjoy this, and hoped that once the curse broke, Tony would still be loyal to her, as he had been for so many years.

He had offered them his restaurant's specialty, a shared plate of spaghetti, but Regina quickly refused. She'd seen Lady and the Tramp after being roped into it by the Swans a number of times, and could just see what that plate would lead to. No, she just needed a little bit more time. They ate separate meals, and although they shared morsels of their food to the other, their lips didn't touch.

"So," Emma started, putting down her dessert fork. "Do you want to head back home after this, or...?"

Regina thought for a second. She could just postpone revealing the truth for a little while longer, keep enjoying this relationship as much as she could. After all it wasn't like Emma was expecting some sort of revelation today anyway. No. She had to do this. "Perhaps we could go out for a walk?"

"Sure!"

After they paid - Regina insisted on footing the bill - they walked out in the brisk February air. It was actually pretty nice for February, which made it even more perfect to walk. Of course, they had to drop off the car first, so that they didn't take up space in Tony's parking lot, and so that they wouldn't have to return there. Plus for Regina, it was assurance that despite what might happen soon, Emma would have to return...or so she hoped.

Her last chance to bail was coming up as soon as they parked in the house's parking pad. It was now or never. She could feign not feeling well, or sudden fatigue. She was sure Emma would understand. But she knew she had to do this now, she couldn't keep pushing this away.

They got out of the car and Emma held out her hand for Regina to take. She gladly laced her fingers with the blonde's, glad for some comfort as she sought out how to tackle this as they started their stroll.

"It's a gorgeous night tonight," was the first and only thing Regina had come up with thus far, and as she said it, she wanted to facepalm. She was clearly off her game.

Emma hummed in agreement. "It is, but you're more gorgeous."

She blushed and let out a small chuckle. How her girlfriend managed to be so flirty and smooth to make her feel this way was beyond her. She was a Queen! People used to cower at her feet and here she was, reacting as if she was a teenager on her first date at the slightest compliment.

"So, what's on your mind?"

Regina was startled from her thoughts after a few moments by Emma's question. "What?"

"You've had something on your mind this entire night Regina. You keep getting distracted and biting your lip, as if you're debating something."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Hey, no, don't apologize," Emma said, interrupting. Breaking away from their hand-holding, Emma took her now free hand and weaved it around Regina's shoulders, pulling the brunette closer to her. Regina leaned into the embrace as they continued to walk, heading into the Storybrooke Park. "I just was wondering if something was troubling you."

Well, it was now or never. "There is. Something I mean."

They stopped walking and faced one another. Emma's arm had migrated back down, and she was once more holding Regina's hand. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Regina took a deep breath and shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong...in a sense." She quickly met Emma's gaze and saw how confused her girlfriend was. "I'm not too sure how to tell you this..."

"Just tell me Regina, and we'll figure it out, okay?" Truth be told, Emma didn't have the slightest idea as to what could be troubling Regina so much. She had always been composed in all the years she'd known her, so this had to be something pretty big. She'd seen how distracted Regina was throughout their date, and she hoped against hope that it wasn't something related to them, or their relationship. She thought that they were doing pretty good together, and she wouldn't know what to do if Regina decided she had enough and wanted to break up.

"Do you remember...Henry's storybook?"

Emma raised an eyebrow, impossibly more confused than before. "Yeah?" she drawled, her answer coming out a question wherein she simultaneously tried to say yes and ask what this had to do with anything.

"What...what if I told you that he was right? That it  _was_  all true." Regina couldn't even meet Emma's eyes, she knew what the expression would probably be.

This could not be happening. She let go of Regina's hand, taking the smallest of steps back. "Regina, what? Where did this come from? We got him to drop it a year ago, after we started dating, so why bring this up?"

She finally looked at Emma, and saw only confusion. "Because it's true, Emma."

Her girlfriend sighed. "Is this some kind of deflection? You're trying to make yourself insane so that I'll break up with you?"

Emma's lack of self-confidence was rearing its ugly head in. She thought Regina didn't want her. "No! That's the last thing I want, Emma."

"Then why bring this up Regina?"

"I've told you, because it's real. I'm the Evil Queen, Ruby is Red Riding Hood, Archie is Jiminy Cricket, and your parents are Snow White and Prince Charming, also known as Mary Margaret and David."

She was certain this had to be a joke. "Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed.

Bringing both her hands to rest on Emma's shoulders, she willed her to understand. "I swear to you Emma, this is  _all_  real."

A scoff was all she got in response before Emma gathered her thoughts. "Real? You're going to tell me that the crazy theory Henry pulled out of an old storybook of yours is real and you expect me to believe this all willy-nilly?"

"The storybook isn't mine Emma."

Emma shook her head incredulously and stepped back out of Regina's reach. "Not yours? So what, that whole story about your mother was all a  **lie**?"

"Yes and no Emma. My mother  _was_  a monster who treated me badly, but she used  _magic_  to do it. I hadn't seen that book ever before until that day that you were reading to Henry. But the storybook did bring me bad memories, of my childhood and my past."

The other woman said nothing, avoiding her gaze as she seemed to process everything.

"And to answer your other question, yes, I do expect you to believe this, because I want you to know who you're dating."

Emma let out a mirthless laugh. "You want me to know  _who_  I'm dating? Who I've been rooming and boarding with for the past  _10 years_? A little late for this teensy tiny  _inconsequential_  fact Regina, don't you think?"

"I know, I'm sorry, I was selfish because I wanted to experience happiness, to let myself forget that I was...evil."

"Honestly, I don't know what's crazier, the fact that you want me to believe that you're this- this Evil Queen, or the fact that  _that_  being true means that you lied to me all this time?" Emma looked ready to go stir-crazy, not that Regina would blame her. It was a lot to take in.

"Emma, please try to understand. I didn't tell you for a reason. Look how you reacted when Henry told you, or how you're reacting now. I just wanted a second chance, a chance to have a normal life without the label of good or evil."

"Then why tell me at all? If you knew how I was going to react and you didn't want anyone to know, especially after Henry let the subject go, why bring it up again?"

It bothered Regina how emotionless Emma sounded. "Like I said, I wanted you to know. It wasn't fair to you to be deprived of your chance to reconnect with your parents. Besides, you are my happy ending Emma. You would've found out eventually when the curse broke, and I thought you'd prefer to have been told in advance, rather than finding out later."

At that, the younger woman met her eyes with a curious look within them. It prompted Regina to continue, "I created this curse because I was tired of being the villain. All I had ever wanted was a happy ending of my own. Your mother was responsible for a lot of grief and unhappiness in my life, and in my blind rage, I was ready to do anything to take away her happy ending, where she had a true love and a child, while I was left to rot.

"So I had Rumpelstiltskin - Mr. Gold - create a curse. A curse that would bring me my happy ending, at the price of everyone else's happy ending. They would all be stuck with a humdrum existence, with a general dissatisfaction and unhappiness in their lives, as if they were incomplete. Of course, it would turn out that nothing can keep people from finding their happy endings. Lacey found Gold, David found Mary Margaret, Ashley and Sean are happy with their child. The curse has been weakening since you arrived."

"Why not tell me before? When I first came to Storybrooke?" was all that Emma asked.

Regina flashed a sad smile. "If you don't believe me now, imagine what it would've been like 10 years ago, Emma. Not to mention, the curse had a prophecy tied to it. Wherein the Saviour would come and save everyone from me."

Emma merely nodded. Henry had told her as much while he had his theory.

"She was to break the curse after the 28th year. I always imagined it'd be Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter coming in on a white horse to skewer me. Never could I imagine that she'd appear in a beat up old yellow Bug with a toddler in arms and needing a place to stay 10 years earlier." By now Regina was wringing her hands together, trying to keep her composure. "It turns out that the curse is meant to last as long as it took for me to find and accept my happy ending. This was why I was so adamant about us not kissing on the lips. True Love's kiss breaks any curse, so it only rests to conclude that my happy ending, and the curse breaking, would happen when I kissed my true love."

Regina kept looking at Emma, who had long broken eye contact with her. She waited, and knew it was a long string of things to process.

When she looked up, Emma swallowed before asking, albeit a bit timidly, "You truly love me?"

With a fervent and confident nod, Regina said, "More than I could've ever imagined loving another person."

Emma took a deep breath, eyes still boring into Regina's. "Say that this whole thing is true, do you have any proof?"

Regina faltered. The easiest proof would be magic, but that was impossible with how this world worked. She couldn't create magic if the air had none. But she could use magically charged objects..."Actually, I do, follow me."

* * *

They walked purposefully towards their destination. Regina hadn't told her where they were going, and Emma hadn't asked, using the silence to continue processing everything that Regina told her, and that she was supposed to believe.

Regina glanced back at her girlfriend, to check that she was still following. The pensive woman continued to follow her, walking a few paces behind her. She wished she could take Emma's hand again, but knew that right now, she shouldn't press.

When Emma looked up, she stopped in her tracks. "The Cemetery? Seriously? That's not creepy and ominous at all."

Turning around, Regina's brow wrinkled and she bit her lip, trying to figure out what to say. "I promise you, I'm not going to harm or hurt you. I just had to put everything some place no one could find. Please trust me."

"I do."

Regina's eyes widened at the simple answer. "You...you do?"

"Regina, despite this entire, thing," - Emma gestured with a large circular motion around them to emphasize her point- "I've known you for 10 years. Evil Queen or not, I've always trusted you. So lead the way."

It was a start, Regina thought. At least she still had Emma's trust. When they reached the Mills family mausoleum, Emma was wondering what the heck was going on. She knew the place was tiny and only held Regina's father's sarcophagus, having accompanied Regina a few times to pay respects when the older woman had been needing support.

Imagine her surprise when Regina began to push at the side of the sarcophagus, as if wanting to move it to the side. After raising an eyebrow in silent question, Emma wordlessly went to help and push. Then she saw the hole that was left underneath, and the stairs that went down into darkness.

"Wow, talk about your creepy average evil lair," Emma comments.

"Please Emma, I can assure you that you'll be safe." If there ever was a moment in which it could be argued that Regina was pleading, it'd be right then.

"Like I said," Emma reached out a hand to Regina's arm, giving a comforting squeeze. "I trust you."

Maybe this could work out and have a happy ending. She wouldn't be naive as to fully believe that. But for a moment, right now, it gave her the strength to go down those stairs.

They emerged in the well-lighted main room of the crypt, with Regina leading them.

Emma was awestruck at what she was seeing. When they came to a stop, she was warily eyeing the wall behind her guide. "Regina, what are those?"

They looked like hundreds of mailboxes. Except for the constant thumping. Regina put hands up in a placating gesture, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"Those, are hearts."

Emma blinked, seeming like she hadn't heard it. Then it registered. "Hearts?! As in human hearts? What the hell?"

"Emma please, don't panic, just trust me."

"Regina, my trust for you has  _nothing_  to do with the fact that it looks like you've got an industrial-sized collection of  _hearts_  hidden beneath Storybrooke for 28 years if not longer! What do you want me to do if  **not**  panic? Ask you about the varieties you have?"

"This is a lot to take in, I know."

"A lot would've been telling me I won the lottery. This is like you're telling me that the world is upside-down or something."

"Yes, well." Regina turned to seek out the box she was looking for. A minute later and she turned back around, holding a pulsing red organ in her hand.

"I hope you're not expecting me to touch that thing," Emma said, her face betraying her disgust with the pulsing organ and the potential of having to touch it.

"It won't hurt you. It's not like human hearts in this world."

"Yeah I think I had enough about anatomy from my high school bio classes thank you very much. So if you don't mind, I'll skip on that hands-on demo."

"Very well." Keeping a light grip on the heart - enough that it wouldn't fall from her hand, but not any pressure that would hurt its owner - she said, "This is Graham's heart."

"Graham? As in my predecessor Graham? Ex-Sheriff of Storybrooke Graham?" Emma asked, stupefied.

"Yes, the very one."

"And he's still alive?"

"You saw him yourself recently, he's healthy as a horse."

"So...taking a person's heart doesn't...kill them?" she asked, trepidation in her voice.

"No, taking a heart only allows the possessor to control the body of the person whose heart they took. In this case, any command I tell Graham, he will follow diligently."

Emma's eyebrows would soon be in danger of rising to her hairline at this rate. "So he's basically like your thrall. All of these people are? Is there anyone whose heart you haven't taken?"

Regina was determined to answer all of Emma's questions truthfully, no matter how bad they made her look. "Essentially yes, they're all puppets, and I pull the strings when I want to. But only when I'm holding their heart, otherwise they're as free-willed as you or I. Should I desire, I can make these people do anything. And there are plenty of people whose hearts I haven't taken. These are all only from my guards. Their oath to me when they joined my army was complete loyalty, which included their hearts. For I can not only command these people at any whim, but I can kill them if they betray me."

"Dare I ask how?" Emma ventured to say.

"I would just squeeze the heart, until it completely crumbles and becomes dust in my fingers."

Emma quickly went on to say, "Please don't do a live demonstration."

Regina shook her head. "I haven't killed in 28 years, and I have no desire to change it."

Flashing a small grateful smile, Emma then looked at the heart, as if expecting it to do something.

"Tell me something ridiculous, and I'll have Graham do it," Regina suddenly said.

She looked back up, confused. "What?"

"This is the proof I wanted you to see. Tell me something completely insane to do, and I'll tell Graham via this, and he'll do it."

Emma crossed her arms in front of her. "That's not exactly the most fool-proof plan you know. You could have a camera or a microphone."

"Emma." Stepping a little bit closer to the blonde, she asked, "Do you really see me as the type to want to prank or pull one on you?"

"No, but I also wasn't expecting my girlfriend of 1 year and my roommate of 10 to be this fairytale character, but here we are."

Regina smiled the smallest of smiles at the fact that Emma only referred to her as a character, not a villain. It was only a label, but it felt important. "Well you still trust me, right?"

After a beat, Emma nodded.

"Then just give me something for Graham to do."

"Fine. Get Graham to walk into Granny's diner, climb onto the counter, rip off his shirt, and start doing the macarena."

It was very specific, and it made Regina grin, despite their situation. She relayed the information into the heart, and then lowered her hand again. Even though she was the one answering questions, she had one of her own. "Why would you be so quick to trust me? I understand that we've been friends and roommates for many years, but..." she let the question hang, hoping Emma understood.

"I know about second chances. After I got out of jail, I was with a newborn and no one wanted to take in an ex-con. But you did. You had no idea who I was or anything, and you helped me. Despite the odds, you still gave me a chance. You helped to raise Henry like he was your own. I don't know of any Evil Queens that would willingly do all or any of that. Plus, considering your hatred for my...for Mary Margaret and David, you kept them surprisingly alive for all these years, even though you probably could've offed them all and gotten away with it. So yes, I trust you, despite how crazy all of this is."

Regina let out a small chuckle. "It is a bit far-fetched, isn't it?"

"You're telling me. Fairy tales being real! Now  _that_  is crazy. So, should we go to Granny's Diner to catch a live performance?"

"No, Graham is currently living heaven knows where in the forest, so it'll take him a while to get there. But if you want to ask any other questions about our world..."

"Your world," Emma corrected.

"You were born there too, it's yours just as well as it's mine," Regina countered.

"How about we do one thing at a time? First let me process this whole fairy tale thing, and then we'll talk semantics about my heritage. So, you have magic?"

" _Had_  magic. This world doesn't have magic, so I am powerless, and have about as much magic as you do."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "Would you go back to it?"

"What?" Regina asked, unsure what Emma could be referring to.

"If you were given magic back, and you had all your powers back, would go back to..." Emma wasn't sure how to ask without being offensive, so the end of the sentence was dropped, and silence took over.

"Would I go back to being the Evil Queen?" Regina supplied. After shaking her head a couple of times, she said, "No. The Evil Queen was...a means to an end, I just wanted to be in control for once, to be in power, and magic helped me do that."

Emma nodded again. "Understandable. I mean, the wanting to be in power part. Life has a way of handing out these rotten cards and you're forced to deal with it and make the most of it. While I wouldn't have gone for the whole," - Emma gesticulates vaguely around them - "dramatic flair, I know what it's like to want to tell everyone 'this is who I am, and this is what I want' and it's nice having things work out for you."

Before Regina could say anything, Emma's phone started ringing.

"Clearly underground creepy crypts don't have bad cell reception." Pressing the answer button, Emma answered the phone with a casual, "Yeah?"

"Whoa Ruby, slow down. What's going on?...Graham is at the diner? What's so crazy about that?...Oh he's shirtless. And dancing the macarena on the counter? Yeah I guess I'll be there in a bit." Once Emma hung up she was gaping. "You were telling the truth."

"Indeed. Now if you wish, I can call him off and we can continue talking," she offered.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, then I don't have to go and arrest our previous Sheriff for drunken misdemeanour."

After Regina was finished - and Ruby had called Emma to cancel the arrest because Graham just kinda snapped out of it and was heading back home -she put the heart away and pulled out a trunk forward, to be used as makeshift a seat. "What else would you like to know?"

After sitting down beside her girlfriend, Emma thought for a moment before asking. "So what happens now?"

"Well, if you want, we can break the curse..." Regina said.

"Do you  _want_  to break the curse?" Emma asked.

"To be honest, no, I want to continue living in this bubble, but it wouldn't be fair for me to be selfish."

"You're not being selfish Regina, I get it. You don't want to have to go back to what you so desperately wanted to escape."

"Well yes, but you deserve to meet your parents, have them get to know you-"

Emma interrupted with, "Mary Margaret and David know me pretty well."

"Yes but they know you as Emma Swan, friend. They don't know you as their child." Regina really wanted some kind of physical contact with Emma, but she wasn't sure, this felt like a really tense conversation, and a caress might destroy everything.

Which was why she smiled when Emma took her hand, placing a soft kiss on top of it. "Well, you let me know when you're ready to break the curse."

They looked at each other for a few moments, smiling softly. When Regina leaned in, Emma's lightning reflexes managed to bring her free hand up in between their lips just in time, covering her mouth. When Regina backed a bit in confusion, Emma moved her hand a bit so it wasn't covering her mouth and said, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to Regina. If you're not ready-"

Regina shook her head, taking her own free hand to clasp Emma's hand, bringing it down. "I refuse to continue being selfish Emma. You're my happy ending, and I want to experience this with you, no matter what may come."

"You sure? I'm guessing there's no undo button on this..."

By now they were centimetres apart, breaths mingling. "No there isn't. And yes, I am."

Without another word, and after many years of hoping and wanting to kiss, their lips met. Unbeknownst to them, as they closed their eyes and lost themselves to the kiss, a bright flash of white light pulsed out from between them.

Throughout Storybrooke, people paused, memories coming at them in a rush, as they remembered who they really were, a smile spilling into their face.

For Mary Margaret and David, who were amicably talking as they put their dinner leftovers away, Henry watching TV in the living room, the return of their memories made them look at one another in surprise.

Then.

"Emma!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the truth is out!
> 
> I think Emma, at least in the situation with this fic, would be sympathetic to Regina, hence what happened.
> 
> So next chapter will be tying some things together, and I'm still trying to decide if there'll be an epilogue...it might just end up being part of next chapter.
> 
> Let me know what you thought about this!
> 
> Meanwhile I'll be updating with In Sickness and In Health, and then Date in the Name of the Law!


	8. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! Second longest chapter of the fic!
> 
> But the end of this journey has arrived! I've been stoked at seeing everyone's reactions so I hope you like the ending!

After their first mind-blowing, curse-breaking kiss, they continued to trade small kisses between giggles, feeling extremely giddy, enjoying their moment together.

It was Emma who backed off first, to ask, "So, did we do it? Did we break the curse?"

Regina looked away for a few moments as she seemed to deliberate her response before nodding slowly. "I believe so..."

"But everything feels the same?" Emma asked, not noticing any changes. Although she wasn't sure what would happen, it didn't feel like a curse had just been broken.

"Yes, perhaps, but I believe the  _people_  have changed a lot. We should probably go back, and pick up Henry. Shall we?" Regina asked, holding out her hand, palm up.

Emma nodded, taking the offered hand into her own, leading them out of the crypt.

* * *

They had been calmly walking down the road to their house, hands clasped, neither having to say a word as they enjoyed their time together. There was no one out on the streets, but then again, they had avoided the more major roads.

The white mansion was in their sight when Emma heard her phone ringing, and she fished it out of her pocket, quickly checking the caller ID before answering in a faux chipper voice, "Hey Mary Margaret! How are things?"

"Emma? We, I-" Mary Margaret seemed to have lost her voice when Emma answered, trying to figure out how to say the multitude of things on her mind. In the end she settled with, "It's us!"

"Yeah, I know, caller ID remember?" Emma said with an airy chuckle. She knew what the other woman was trying to imply, but Emma wasn't particularly willing to tackle this right now over the phone.

"No, I mean," a sigh, one that didn't sound like it came from the meek Mary Margaret, but from a woman who had gone through so much more, "it's us, your  _parents_. The curse, Henry's curse, do you remember? It was all real Emma, and you broke it!"

Emma floundered around for a few seconds, mouth opening and closing as she attempted to figure out what to say. She felt Regina softly squeeze her hand, and offer her an encouraging smile. "I- "

At the moment, she wasn't sure if she was glad for the interruption having suddenly heard an exclamation from the other end of the line. Emma figured that it was probably David or Henry, while Mary Margaret said, sounding a bit panicked, "Are you sure?"

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Emma, where are you?"

Emma looked at the woman she was beside, who was looking at her with furrowed brows. "I'm outside, walking by Mifflin-"

"Are you with Regina?!" Mary Margaret asked in a shrill voice, so loudly that Emma flinched, and she was sure that even Regina heard it.

Choosing not to answer, she asked, "Why? What's going on?"

"Something is happening Emma-"

The line cut, leaving Emma to glance down at her phone as she ended the call. "That was weird, Mary Margaret sounded scared that something was happening..." she looked up and saw that Regina wasn't looking at her, but something beyond, growing paler by the second.

"Regina, what's-" she began to ask as she turned, but paused when she saw what was causing the panic. A giant purple cloud was headed their way. She felt her girlfriend pull her down to crouch on the ground, Regina's body shielding hers as best as she could while she curled into a ball.

The wind picked up and Emma closed her eyes, keeping a vice grip onto her girlfriend's hand, bringing it up to her lips for a kiss.

Suddenly, the wind stopped, and Emma felt that it was safe enough to look up. With a calming brush of her thumb over the back of Regina's hand, she pulled them back up to stand. "What was that? Are purple clouds normal?"

She looked at her girlfriend at the lack of response, but Regina was focused on her free hand, so Emma decided to ask again, "Regina? What is it?"

"He brought it back," Regina murmured.

"Brought what back? He who?" Emma asked, puzzled.

Regina finally looked back at Emma, and said with trepidation, "Gold...he brought back magic."

Emma could hardly believe her ears. "Magic? I thought this world didn't have magic."

"Not anymore apparently...promise me you won't panic?" Regina asked, keeping her grip on Emma's hand.

"Regina, you just told me you're a fairytale character and we broke a curse, I don't think- Holy shit!"

Regina's free hand was currently engulfed in flame, causing Emma to jump back, but she didn't let go of Regina's other hand.

"You're...wielding fire," Emma said, eyes wide, trying to wrap her mind around this. She neared her own hand towards it, feeling the warmth, like putting her hand near a fire on a cold night. "It doesn't hurt you?"

The brunette shook her head. "No, it won't hurt you either if you touch it, only should I turn it into a fireball and throw it."

"Seriously?" Emma tried to bring her fingers closer but her mind was instinctively trying to tell her to back off from the flame.

"Emma, you won't get hurt, I promise," Regina assured her.

Taking the plunge, Emma rested her palm over Regina's fire covered one. "This feels so surreal."

Regina smiled at Emma's wonder. "I can show you more tricks later, but first, we should go get Henry back from your- Mary Margaret and David's apartment."

Emma nodded, flashing a grateful smile that Regina didn't call them her parents. That was going to take some getting used to.

* * *

They had arrived home, and were currently on the porch, Emma waiting to see that Regina entered the house safely before leaving. She would be going to pick up Henry by herself, at Regina's insistence that it was probably not a wise idea to have her show up at her ex-nemesis' apartment with their pre-curse memories now intact.

But apparently, Mary Margaret and David had other ideas, showing up at their house, Henry trailing beside them.

"Moms!" Henry ran towards them and crashed into both women, his arms trying their hardest to hug both of his moms' waists at the same time. They instinctively wrapped an arm each around him, looking up at the other newcomers with trepidation.

Mary Margaret decided to kick things off first. "Emma, you have to get away, Regina isn't who she says she is! i know that you might not believe us, but the curse is real-"

"I know," Emma simply answered, her other hand sneaking to rest at the small of Regina's back in a comforting move. The effect was instantaneous, Regina relaxed immediately.

"You know? About the curse?" David asked, his words careful, trying to make sure he was understanding things properly.

Emma moved to stand in front of Henry and Regina, ready to use her body to shield them if necessary. "Yeah, I broke it, remember?"

"We weren't sure you were aware of it," David explained. "But we need to get out of here-"

"Why? This is my home, with my  _family_." Emma's unwavering stance filled Regina's heart with the feeling of being loved.

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Emma, Regina-"

"Don't you guys wonder," Emma interrupted, " _how_  I broke the curse? I mean, the curse was made for a very specific reason. Do you know what that reason is?"

"Well, it was made to take away our happy endings," Mary Margaret explained.

Emma quickly turned to meet Regina's gaze, silently asking her for permission to put all of their cards on the table. Regina nodded.

"That's not the entire reason though," Emma said as she turned back to face the couple standing in the walkway. "This curse would set events in motion to bring about Regina's happy ending."

Mary Margaret and David said nothing, so she plowed on. "And the curse would break when Regina found and accepted said happy ending."

Here there were scoffs from Emma's supposed parents. "But you're the Saviour!  _You_  broke the curse!"

"Yes, I did, only because Regina allowed me to." Emma hoped that they would understand without her having to explain it step-by-step. Could they really be that dense?

When it was clear that their cogs were still turning, Regina rolled her eyes and said, "It seems that we need to demonstrate it, darling."

Without further ado, Regina pulled Emma into a kiss. Emma gave a sappy love-filled sigh as she closed her eyes, Regina's soft lips on her own. She vaguely heard Henry say "Yes!" Maybe there had also been a 'finally' that had sneaked in there, but she would never truly know.

As they broke apart, Emma's expression was that of a love-struck fool. So Regina turned and raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Does that clarify things?"

They nodded, dumbstruck. "You two...shared true love's kiss."

Emma seemed to have recovered and now said, "Yeah, and you can either accept it, or leave us be."

David and Mary Margaret looked at each other for a moment, before the latter turned to look at Regina with a scrutinizing eye.

Before anything could be decided, a loud mob seemed to be heading their way. Emma gaped as she saw torches and pitchforks. This looked like something straight out of a book, as cliche as that idea could seem in a town composed of fairytale characters. They marched into the property using the driveway, coming to stand near Emma's bug, some of them spilling onto the grass. Regina wasn't going to be happy about that.

"What's going on here?" Emma asked with an edge to her voice, coming to face of the mob. Curse or no curse, for all intents and purposes she was a figure of authority in this town and she'd be damned if she'd let a bunch of potentially homicidal fairytale characters attack her family, or even get close to them.

She received no clear answer, instead there was a cacophony of yells and shouts about justice, revenge, anger and hatred. They were here for the Evil Queen.

But the woman that she was protecting, the one that she fell in love with, was no longer the Evil Queen. And she would see to it that everyone understood that, no matter how long it took.

"Hey!" Emma yelled out, quieting everyone. "I know that this is all confusing, and you just found out you had spent the last 28 years cursed. But the woman you're trying to get revenge on, whose lawn you're currently trampling on, isn't the same woman who cursed you. Believe me, I've lived with her for 10 years. Regina helped me raise Henry, and has been nothing but kind to me. Me, the child of her worst nemesis."

There were a few chuckles, so Emma continued, "I promise that starting tomorrow, we'll try to get some kind of committee going so we can figure this out, but revenge right now won't do you any good. So how about everyone just goes home and we can all figure this out tomorrow?"

Emma thought that she had been successful in getting through to everyone, until someone from the mob piped up, "But what if she murders us in the middle of the night? Who knows what that freaky purple cloud did to us, and it's her signature! We know her tricks!"

Before Emma could think up of a retort, Mary Margaret had stepped up, coming to stand beside Emma. "Regina had  _nothing_  to do with this. I will vouch for her, because I have personally seen how Regina has changed. At first I thought that it may be an act, and with the curse broken, she'd go back to her previous ways. But seeing her now," Mary Margaret quickly turned to glance at Regina, who was frozen on the spot, and gave her a smile before continuing, "I know she means no harm. That dangerous look in her eyes is no longer there.

"I've known her for a really long time, and yes she has done horrible things in the past, but this Regina is caring, I've seen it myself! I'm going to give her a chance, and I firmly believe you all should too."

That seemed to have done the trick, as the crowd began to disperse. Mary Margaret turned back to face them with a grin. "It's a start!"

* * *

The next morning, Gold looked up at the front door to his shop, seeing both Regina and Emma striding in with purpose. "Well if it's not my two favourite curse-breakers. What can I do for you this morning?"

"Cut the crap Gold," Emma growled, crossing her arms in front of her.

Gold smirked. "Ooh, touchy."

"Why did you bring magic to Storybrooke?" Regina asked pointedly, letting him know she was not here for half answers or untruthful ones.

"Many reasons," Gold began, but before he could continue, Lacey came out of the back room.

"Oh! Hey Emma, hey Regina, what's going on?" she asked, looking between the contrite duo and her boyfriend.

Emma answered before anyone could jump in, "We're trying to figure out why Gold brought magic back to Storybrooke."

"You  _what_?" Lacey asked, rounding off onto Gold, who briefly glared at Emma for snitching him out. "Rumple, I thought you said you weren't going to seek revenge."

"And I'm not!" It was a bit surreal to see Gold looking like a wounded puppy at the accusation.

"Then what do you need magic for?" If there was one person Gold could not lie to, it was his Belle.

"Protection, security, I could continue listing the multiple reasons. Now that the curse is broken, everything is about to change. We'll have new threats, and we need to be prepared. Besides," - he turned to Regina to address her with a small smirk - "I would've thought you'd be happy having your magic back, your Majesty."

Regina said nothing. On one hand, it did feel comforting to have the familial thrum of magic flowing through her veins again, but she worried about what it might to her. She didn't want to become evil again.

Gold noted Regina's silent turmoil, and said, "Worry not, dearie, you are in control of your powers, your magic will only be used how you want it to. It won't corrupt you."

She frowned at Gold's assurance. Regina was expecting him to weave seeds of doubt, as he usually did. Gold continued with, "Like you, Madam Mayor, I too have had a long time to think over my actions, and experiment with changing my ways. I am obviously still a little bit of a trickster at heart, but I believe we can begin anew as unlikely allies."

At first Regina had been weary. But she looked at Lacey, who was looking proudly at him, while he gave her a goofy smile. Maybe this could work. "I think that sounds reasonable. If you both want to join us later at Town Hall, we're going to be building a committee to help with this transition."

"We'll be there," Gold agreed with a brief bow of his head.

Emma and Regina left the shop, the latter releasing a breath of relief. "That went better than I expected. He really is a changed man."

"Yeah, Gold is  _so_  in love with Lacey," Emma grinned, taking Regina's hand in her own as they began walking. "Do you want to get something to eat from Granny's?"

"I'd love that."

They went inside and sat down in a booth together side by side. In a bold move, Emma swung her arm around to rest over Regina's shoulders, pulling the brunette to her. In an even bolder move, Regina gave Emma a kiss at the corner of her lips.

Ruby, who had been heading to take the orders of her newest customers, braked once she saw Emma's arm bringing Regina closer to her, and gaped at Regina's brief kiss. She looked around the nearly empty diner, wanting to see if anyone else was reacting to this. No one else was paying attention, so Ruby decided to just walk up them and tease them about it.

"So, I'm guessing that's how the curse was broken?" she asked, hip leaning against the table, a smug smirk on her face at seeing both women's cheeks flare up.

"We-"

"I-"

Ruby chuckled and waved it off before they made fools of themselves. "You two aren't fooling anyone. I was wondering how long you two would last before you started dating. Apparently a long while!" Ruby glared at Emma playfully, as if blaming her for taking too long.

Throughout their meal, they continued to chat with Ruby, and eventually they asked if she could do the honours of spreading the word about the committee. The waitress had agreed without a problem, guaranteeing them that she would get the word out.

"How about your relationship? Is it a secret or what?"

Regina bit her lip and took a deep breath. "We'd prefer to progressively let people know. We're still not entirely sure how the town would react to us dating."

"Well, everyone is very curious to find out how Emma broke the curse, so I would be careful, people will be asking questions, which means it won't take them long."

And Ruby was right. By the end of the week, everyone knew that Regina and Emma had been dating for a year, and their true love kiss had broken the curse.

* * *

"So we're really going to forgive her?" David asked suddenly, enjoying the lazy Sunday with his wife. They were playing chess, a beloved pastime of theirs, and he was waiting for Mary Margaret to make her move.

"Well why not? Regina has clearly changed, she cares for Emma and Henry," Mary Margaret answered in a tone that indicated that she believed her reasoning was obvious, moving her knight.

David nodded. That much was true. "But I'm worried. We've given her so many chances in the past, and she stepped on every single one. I just don't want to see our daughter get hurt."

"I know David, but Emma is an adult, and she's been with Regina for a decade now. I trust her judgment, and if she believes Regina and trusts her, then I will too. Like I told the town, the Regina I saw that night is not the one that was actively seeking to kill me at every opportunity she had. I might still be a little bit cautious about her, and I certainly won't be rushing to eat any apple-flavoured pastries from her, but I refuse to let my apprehension get in the way of Emma's happiness."

Later that week, the Charmings sat down with Emma to talk to her openly. The three of them spoke at length about their family, and what they wanted to have happen.

Emma had requested one thing. "I think that I'd like to get you guys better, but I need some space. It's nothing against you guys, but it's a bit hard to understand that after 28 years, I have parents, parents that want and love me. Not to mention that you guys are the same age that I am, which is bizarre in and of itself. I just need time to process this."

"Of course honey, take all the time you need. We'll still be here. I just want you to know that we'll be here for you, in whatever capacity you want from us. If you want to just stick as friends, we'll respect that," Mary Margaret said with a chuckle.

"I think that will be kinda hard," Emma admitted.

David piped up, "And if you need help at the Station, I can help out."

Emma ended up taking David's offer, making him her deputy. The two worked together quite nicely, and bonded on the slow days. On the tough and long days, they had each other's back. Every week, Emma would be over for dinner with her parents, wherein Mary Margaret would squeal in delight and hug Emma when she showed up at her door. They eventually got through the awkwardness, and became a family.

* * *

Henry was their number one fan from the get go. He had been ecstatic that they finally broke the curse, though he wasn't too happy at the town's trepidation. In his opinion, this town  _really_  needed to let go of their grudges.

With the curse broken, Henry's family had grown. He now had grandparents who doted on him, and his moms were together. So it was no surprise to him when Regina asked him if he would be happy if she asked Emma to marry her.

"Of course I would! It would be the best thing ever!" Henry exclaimed.

Regina chuckled and kissed his forehead. "Now we just have to hope your mother says yes."

"Of course she'll say 'yes' mom. She loves you."

And indeed Emma had said yes through tears of happiness. Mary Margaret had insisted that she would plan the wedding, no questions asked.

"My daughter is getting married after 28 years of me not being in her life as her mother. I am going to do the honours, and that's decided," was her firm stance on the situation.

Of course in true Storybrooke fashion, the wedding was a veritable disaster.

For all her planning, Mary Margaret couldn't have expected Maleficent to wake up from her slumber beneath the library and - in full fledged dragon form and all - crash the wedding, literally. It certainly was a strange sight to behold, the Saviour and the ex-Evil Queen in their wedding dresses, trying to fend off a dragon with magic, while Prince Charming in his tux swung his sword at it. The truly livid one was Mary Margaret, who channelled her Snow White side, found a bow and arrow from heaven knows where, aiming true at the dragon that had crashed the wedding she had planned so meticulously.

It certainly had been memorable, and in a scrapbook that Henry had later compiled of all their wedding photos that he had valiantly taken while the adults fought the dragon, they'd all had a good laugh seeing how truly ridiculous of an event it was. But this was them. A normal quiet wedding just wasn't their thing, and they wouldn't change it for the world.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

As Gold had predicted, over the years, there'd be many threats to Storybrooke. The town full of fairytale characters became an enticing beacon to both well-meaning new characters, as well as devious and shady individuals.

The town would always band together to protect itself. They had long forgiven Regina, and respected her leadership, and were thankful for the effort that had gone in to the transition committee. It had helped everyone to see her in a new light, so eventually they had been accepting of her relationship with the Saviour after a few months of confusion. In the long run, the couple, along with the Charmings, had become the town's power couple duo.

So it was no surprise that, at the forefront to protect the town, were always the same women.

Hands clasped between them, creating a magical aura.

Facing everything together.

_**The End** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tadaaa!
> 
> Well I hope I did this justice as a good enough ending! I've had a few comments wondering if I was going to continue the story way into the future, but alas this story was merely tackling the possibility of what it'd be like if Emma hadn't given up Henry and instead headed into Storybrooke [even accidentally], and lived with Regina. I did tie everything together and give glimpses of things that happened, so I think this is enough.
> 
> I really have no plot beyond this, and I'm chock-full with ideas for other fics, so I believe ending it here feels right.
> 
> Now, it had been customary that at the end of fics, I'd ask for readers to help me choose what new fic I'll tackle to replace this one. But, with SQW, I ended up beginning 3 new fics, so I just invite you to check out the current fics I'm writing, and I hope some of them pique your interest!
> 
> I'll be updating In Sickness and In Health, as well as a drabble in the near-ish future. It'll take a while to update, since I'll be travelling, and I think I'll be a bit busy to update, just a fair warning.
> 
> I'd love to know your thoughts, thanks so much for all the support and comments!


End file.
